CVE-2024-21604
Junos OS Evolved: A high rate of specific traffic will cause a complete system outage
An Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in the kernel of Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS).
If a high rate of specific valid packets are processed by the routing engine (RE) this will lead to a loss of connectivity of the RE with other components of the chassis and thereby a complete and persistent system outage. Please note that a carefully designed lo0 firewall filter will block or limit these packets which should prevent this issue from occurring.
The following log messages can be seen when this issue occurs:
<host> kernel: nf_conntrack: nf_conntrack: table full, dropping packet This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved:
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S7-EVO;
- 21.2R1-EVO and later versions;
- 21.4-EVO versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5-EVO;
- 22.1-EVO versions earlier than 22.1R3-S2-EVO;
- 22.2-EVO versions earlier than 22.2R3-EVO;
- 22.3-EVO versions earlier than 22.3R2-EVO;
- 22.4-EVO versions earlier than 22.4R2-EVO.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Junos OS Evolved: A high rate of specific traffic will cause a complete system outage
An Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in the kernel of Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS).
If a high rate of specific valid packets are processed by the routing engine (RE) this will lead to a loss of connectivity of the RE with other components of the chassis and thereby a complete and persistent system outage. Please note that a carefully designed lo0 firewall filter will block or limit these packets which should prevent this issue from occurring.
The following log messages can be seen when this issue occurs:
<host> kernel: nf_conntrack: nf_conntrack: table full, dropping packet This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved:
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S7-EVO;
- 21.2R1-EVO and later versions;
- 21.4-EVO versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5-EVO;
- 22.1-EVO versions earlier than 22.1R3-S2-EVO;
- 22.2-EVO versions earlier than 22.2R3-EVO;
- 22.3-EVO versions earlier than 22.3R2-EVO;
- 22.4-EVO versions earlier than 22.4R2-EVO.
- Record
CVE-2024-21604- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-770
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2024-19252
An Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in the kernel of Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS).
If a high rate of specific valid packets are processed by the routing engine (RE) this will lead to a loss of connectivity of the RE with other components of the chassis and thereby a complete and persistent system outage. Please note that a carefully designed lo0 firewall filter will block or limit these packets which should prevent this issue from occurring.
The following log messages can be seen when this issue occurs:
<host> kernel: nf_conntrack: nf_conntrack: table full, dropping packet This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved:
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S7-EVO;
- 21.2R1-EVO and later versions;
- 21.4-EVO versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5-EVO;
- 22.1-EVO versions earlier than 22.1R3-S2-EVO;
- 22.2-EVO versions earlier than 22.2R3-EVO;
- 22.3-EVO versions earlier than 22.3R2-EVO;
- 22.4-EVO versions earlier than 22.4R2-EVO.
- Record
EUVD-2024-19252- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-h4g9-rx7v-v6rf
An Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in the kernel of Juniper...
An Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in the kernel of Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS).
If a high rate of specific valid packets are processed by the routing engine (RE) this will lead to a loss of connectivity of the RE with other components of the chassis and thereby a complete and persistent system outage. Please note that a carefully designed lo0 firewall filter will block or limit these packets which should prevent this issue from occurring.
The following log messages can be seen when this issue occurs:
<host> kernel: nf_conntrack: nf_conntrack: table full, dropping packet This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved:
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S7-EVO;
- 21.2R1-EVO and later versions;
- 21.4-EVO versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5-EVO;
- 22.1-EVO versions earlier than 22.1R3-S2-EVO;
- 22.2-EVO versions earlier than 22.2R3-EVO;
- 22.3-EVO versions earlier than 22.3R2-EVO;
- 22.4-EVO versions earlier than 22.4R2-EVO.
- Record
GHSA-h4g9-rx7v-v6rf- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-770
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
An Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in the kernel of Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS).
If a high rate of specific valid packets are processed by the routing engine (RE) this will lead to a loss of connectivity of the RE with other components of the chassis and thereby a complete and persistent system outage. Please note that a carefully designed lo0 firewall filter will block or limit these packets which should prevent this issue from occurring.
The following log messages can be seen when this issue occurs:
<host> kernel: nf_conntrack: nf_conntrack: table full, dropping packet This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved:
- All versions earlier than 20.4R3-S7-EVO;
- 21.2R1-EVO and later versions;
- 21.4-EVO versions earlier than 21.4R3-S5-EVO;
- 22.1-EVO versions earlier than 22.1R3-S2-EVO;
- 22.2-EVO versions earlier than 22.2R3-EVO;
- 22.3-EVO versions earlier than 22.3R2-EVO;
- 22.4-EVO versions earlier than 22.4R2-EVO.
- Record
CVE-2024-21604- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-770
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2024-21604 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Juniper Junos Os Evolved, published January 12, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.53%, the 45th percentile. No source names a fixed version.