title: Junos OS: 'set system ports console insecure' allows root password recovery on OAM volumes
description: When "set system ports console insecure" is enabled, root login is disallowed for Junos OS as expected. However, the root password can be changed using "set system root-authentication plain-text-password" on systems booted from an OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) volume, leading to a possible administrative bypass with physical access to the console. OAM volumes (e.g. flash drives) are typically instantiated as /dev/gpt/oam, or /oam for short. Password recovery, changing the root password from a console, should not have been allowed from an insecure console. Affected releases are Juniper Networks Junos OS: 15.1 versions prior to 15.1F6-S12, 15.1R7-S3; 15.1X49 versions prior to 15.1X49-D160; 15.1X53 versions prior to 15.1X53-D236, 15.1X53-D496, 15.1X53-D68; 16.1 versions prior to 16.1R3-S10, 16.1R6-S6, 16.1R7-S3; 16.1X65 versions prior to 16.1X65-D49; 16.2 versions prior to 16.2R2-S8; 17.1 versions prior to 17.1R2-S10, 17.1R3; 17.2 versions prior to 17.2R1-S8, 17.2R3-S1; 17.3 versions prior to 17.3R3-S3; 17.4 versions prior to 17.4R1-S6, 17.4R2-S2; 18.1 versions prior to 18.1R2-S4, 18.1R3-S3; 18.2 versions prior to 18.2R2; 18.2X75 versions prior to 18.2X75-D40; 18.3 versions prior to 18.3R1-S2. This issue does not affect Junos OS releases prior to 15.1.
problem types: CWE-501 Trust Boundary Violation
affected:
{
product: Junos OS
vendor: Juniper Networks
versions:
lessThan: 15.1F6-S12, 15.1R7-S3, status: affected, version: 15.1, versionType: custom
lessThan: 15.1X49-D160, status: affected, version: 15.1X49, versionType: custom
lessThan: 15.1X53-D236, 15.1X53-D496, 15.1X53-D68, status: affected, version: 15.1X53, versionType: custom
lessThan: 16.1R3-S10, 16.1R6-S6, 16.1R7-S3, status: affected, version: 16.1, versionType: custom
lessThan: 16.1X65-D49, status: affected, version: 16.1X65, versionType: custom
lessThan: 16.2R2-S8, status: affected, version: 16.2, versionType: custom
lessThan: 17.1R2-S10, 17.1R3, status: affected, version: 17.1, versionType: custom
lessThan: 17.2R1-S8, 17.2R3-S1, status: affected, version: 17.2, versionType: custom
lessThan: 17.3R3-S3, status: affected, version: 17.3, versionType: custom
lessThan: 17.4R1-S6, 17.4R2-S2, status: affected, version: 17.4, versionType: custom
lessThan: 18.1R2-S4, 18.1R3-S3, status: affected, version: 18.1, versionType: custom
lessThan: 18.2R2, status: affected, version: 18.2, versionType: custom
lessThan: 18.2X75-D40, status: affected, version: 18.2X75, versionType: custom
lessThan: 18.3R1-S2, status: affected, version: 18.3, versionType: custom
lessThan: 15.1, status: unaffected, version: all, versionType: custom
}
metrics:
cvssV3_0: [
attackComplexity: LOW
attackVector: PHYSICAL
availabilityImpact: HIGH
baseScore: 6.8
baseSeverity: MEDIUM
confidentialityImpact: HIGH
integrityImpact: HIGH
privilegesRequired: NONE
scope: UNCHANGED
userInteraction: NONE
vectorString: CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
version: 3.0
]
exploits: Juniper SIRT is not aware of any malicious exploitation of this vulnerability.
solutions: The following software releases have been updated to resolve this specific issue: Junos OS 15.1F6-S12, 15.1R7-S3, 15.1X49-D160, 15.1X53-D236, 15.1X53-D496, 15.1X53-D68, 16.1R3-S10, 16.1R6-S6, 16.1R7-S3, 16.1X65-D49, 16.2R2-S8, 17.1R2-S10, 17.1R3, 17.2R1-S8, 17.2R3-S1, 17.3R3-S3, 17.4R1-S6, 17.4R2-S2, 18.1R2-S4, 18.1R3-S3, 18.2R2, 18.2X75-D40, 18.3R1-S2, 18.4R1, and all subsequent releases.
workarounds: Limit physical access to the recovery console to only trusted administrators.