Juniper Networks, a leading provider of networking solutions, has announced the release of security updates to fix critical vulnerabilities in its SRX Series firewalls and EX Series switches. The company issued an advisory stating that these vulnerabilities could potentially lead to remote code execution (RCE) and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, posing a significant risk to affected devices.

The vulnerability, categorized as an out-of-bounds write flaw in J-Web of Juniper Networks Junos OS SRX Series and EX Series, allows an unauthenticated attacker to exploit the vulnerability remotely. This can result in a DoS condition or enable the attacker to execute malicious code, potentially gaining root privileges on the affected device.

Juniper Networks has promptly addressed this security flaw in the following versions: 20.4R3-S9, 21.2R3-S7, 21.3R3-S5, 21.4R3-S5, 22.1R3-S4, 22.2R3-S3, 22.3R3-S2, 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3, 23.2R1-S1, 23.2R2, 23.4R1, and later. It is crucial for users to update their devices to these patched versions to mitigate the risks associated with the vulnerability.

Prior to the release of these updates, Junos OS versions earlier than 20.4R3-S9, 21.2R3-S7, 21.3R3-S5, 21.4R3-S5, 22.1R3-S4, 22.2R3-S3, 22.3R3-S2, and 22.4R2-S2 were found to be susceptible to the out-of-bounds write vulnerability.

To temporarily address the issue until the updates can be applied, Juniper Networks recommends users to either disable J-Web or limit access to trusted hosts only. These workarounds can help reduce the risk of potential attacks while waiting for the patches to be deployed.

In addition to the critical vulnerability, Juniper Networks has also addressed a high-severity bug in Junos OS and Junos OS Evolved. The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-21611 with a CVSS score of 7.5, has the potential to be exploited by an unauthenticated attacker to trigger a DoS condition.

While there is evidence that the vulnerabilities are being actively exploited in the wild, it is also worth noting that Juniper Networks faced multiple security shortcomings last year that exposed their SRX firewalls and EX switches to abuse from threat actors. Therefore, it is essential for users and organizations to remain vigilant and promptly apply the necessary updates and security measures to protect their network infrastructure.

By promptly addressing these critical vulnerabilities, Juniper Networks is demonstrating its commitment to ensuring the security and integrity of their products while providing customers with the necessary tools to mitigate potential risks.