Junos OS on MX Series: malformed SyncE or PTP input causes RE switchovers
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
Junos OS on MX Series has an improper resource locking flaw in the clock synchronization daemon clksyncd (CWE-413). A malformed SyncE or PTP message from an upstream node causes a false 19.44MHz alarm on devices with SCBE3, leading to persistent RE switchovers and a clksyncd crash. An unauthenticated, logically adjacent attacker can cause denial of service, though the trigger is a race condition the attacker does not directly control.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
Description from the CNA
An Improper Resource Locking vulnerability in the clock synchronization daemon (clksyncd) of Juniper Networks Junos OS on MX Series allows a unauthenticated, logically adjacent attacker to cause a Denial-of-Service (DoS). If a SyncE or PTP upstream node sends a malformed message to an MX device equipped with SCBE3, a false 19.44MHz alarm is generated on the master RE. This leads to persistent RE switchovers and a clksyncd process crash. This issue is outside the attacker's direct control as it's a race condition. This issue affects Junos OS on MX Series: * All versions before 23.2R2-S7.7; * 23.4 versions before 23.4R2-S8.13; * 24.2 versions before 24.2R2-S5.5; * 24.4 versions before 24.4R2-S4; * 25.2 versions before 25.2R2-S1; * 25.4 versions before 25.4R1-S2.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juniper | Junos OS | before 23.2R2-S7.7; 23.4 to before 23.4R2-S8.13; 24.2 to before 24.2R2-S5.5; 24.4 to before 24.4R2-S4; 25.2 to before 25.2R2-S1; 25.4 to before 25.4R1-S2 | 23.2R2-S7.7, 23.4R2-S8.13, 24.2R2-S5.5, 24.4R2-S4, 25.2R2-S1, 25.4R1-S2 | Patch available | CNA |
- Junos OS VendorJuniper Affected before 23.2R2-S7.7; 23.4 to before 23.4R2-S8.13; 24.2 to before 24.2R2-S5.5; 24.4 to before 24.4R2-S4; 25.2 to before 25.2R2-S1; 25.4 to before 25.4R1-S2 Fixed in 23.2R2-S7.7, 23.4R2-S8.13, 24.2R2-S5.5, 24.4R2-S4, 25.2R2-S1, 25.4R1-S2 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Upgrade Junos OS to 23.2R2-S7.7, 23.4R2-S8.13, 24.2R2-S5.5, 24.4R2-S4, 25.2R2-S1 or 25.4R1-S2, or later in the same train.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-28
- Fix · CNA Junos OS (Juniper Networks) Fixed in 23.2R2-S7.7, 23.4R2-S8.13, 24.2R2-S5.5, 24.4R2-S4, 25.2R2-S1, 25.4R1-S2
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Juniper Networks Junos OS 23.2R2-S7.7, 23.4R2-S8.13 and 4 more versions
2 records Highest priority Priority LOW 2 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-74294 NULL pointer dereference in Junos OS on SRX Series causes DoSPriority LOW 36
Timeline
- 2026-10-15 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-102080
References
More Juniper vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-18638 Junos OS: EX and SRX Series: A PHP vulnerability in J-Web allows an unauthenticated to… KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2020-01585 Out of Cycle Security Advisory: Junos OS: Security vulnerability in J-Web and web based (HTTP/HTTPS) services KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2015-06436 Juniper ScreenOS 6.2.0r15 through 6.2.0r18, 6.3.0r12 before 6.3.0r12b, 6.3.0r13 before… KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2022-20885 Apache Commons Text prior to 1.10.0 allows RCE when applied to untrusted input due to insecure interpolation defaults CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2015-04610 Assertion failure in ISC BIND named via TKEY queries KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2025-15550 Junos OS: An local attacker with shell access can execute arbitrary code KEVCVSS 4.0MEDIUM 6.7
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences