Vulnerability · CVE-2023-36844
Juniper Junos OS EX Series PHP External Variable Modification Vulnerability
Published Aug 17, 2023 · catalog updated Jun 16, 2026 · Juniper Junos OS
Patch now
CVE-2023-36844 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Nov 17, 2023. Confirm Juniper Junos OS against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.
- Severity
- Medium5.3
- Known exploitation
- CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
- EPSS
- 89.96%
- Remediation
- Remediation guidance
- Affected products
- cpe juniper/junos · vendor Juniper Junos OS
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.
Are you affected?
Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.
The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.
- cpe juniper/junos20.4
- vendor Juniper Junos OSversion unspecified
How to fix CVE-2023-36844
Recommended remediation
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. CISA due date Nov 17, 2023.
Official advisories
What to do
Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.
Should you patch?
CVE-2023-36844 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Nov 17, 2023. Confirm Juniper Junos OS against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.
Which versions are affected?
Compare what you have installed with 20.4. Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
What should an analyst verify?
CWE-473. EPSS 89.96%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. A public exploit reference is linked in Sources. That is not the same as confirmed exploitation. Use the source links for the original advisory.
Code
The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.
No public source repository is identified for this product.
Timeline
Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.
Aug 17, 2023 · Catalog
Detected
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
Nov 13, 2023 · CISA KEV
Known exploited
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Nov 17, 2023 · CISA KEV
Remediation due
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Jun 16, 2026 · Catalog
Updated
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
Sources
- CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2023-36844
Juniper Junos OS on EX Series contains a PHP external variable modification vulnerability that 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.
cisa.gov - CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2023-36844
Official CVE identifier
cve.org - FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2023-36844
30-day exploitation probability 90.0%
first.org - Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_freebsd/http/junos_phprc_auto_prepend_file
Public module reference (excellent). Module source is not copied into this catalog.
rapid7.com - NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2023-36844
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 enviro
nvd.nist.gov - Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174865/Juniper-SRX-Firewall-EX-Switch-Remote-Code-Execution.html
Packet Storm link already published on the finding.
packetstormsecurity.com - VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2023-36844
Juniper Junos OS on EX Series contains a PHP external variable modification vulnerability that 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 vari
vulncheck.com
References
- Exploit · packetstormsecurity.com
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · dashboard.shadowserver.org
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · dashboard.shadowserver.org
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · dashboard.shadowserver.org
- CISA note · nvd.nist.gov
- Vendor Advisory · supportportal.juniper.net
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · supportportal.juniper.net
- CISA note · supportportal.juniper.net
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · twitter.com
- US Government Resource · cisa.gov
- VulnCheck exploitation evidence · cisa.gov
Freshness
Last verified in this catalog Oct 17, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.