Junos OS: After removing ssh public key authentication root can still log in

published 2025-07-11 15 mo ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2025-21147

cvss: 7.2; version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 0.7%; EPSS 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 52%
public exploits: 0; none known

A UI Discrepancy for Security Feature

vulnerability in the UI of Juniper Networks Junos OS on VM Host systems allows a network-based, unauthenticated attacker to access the device.

On VM Host Routing Engines (RE), even if the configured public key for root has been removed, remote users which are in possession of the corresponding private key can still log in as root. This issue affects Junos OS:

* all versions before 22.2R3-S7, * 22.4 versions before 22.4R3-S5, * 23.2 versions before 23.2R2-S3, * 23.4 versions before 23.4R2-S3, * 24.2 versions before 24.2R1-S2, 24.2R2.

Patch / fix

fixed in 1

Juniper Networks Junos OS 22.2R3-S7, 22.4R3-S5, 23.2R2-S3, 23.4R2-S3, 24.2R1-S2, 24.2R2

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: none
Automatable: no
Technical impact: total
Assessed: 15 mo ago (2025-07-12)

Exploit prediction

0.68% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 52% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
CNA	3.1	7.2	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA	4.0	8.6	CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/R:U/RE:M
CNA	4.0	8.6	CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:U/V:X/RE:M/U:X

Affected products

Juniper Networks Junos OS

Classification

Weakness

CWE-446 UI Discrepancy for Security Feature

References

supportportal.juniper.net /JSA100089
vendor-advisory
juniper.net /documentation/us/en/software/junos/junos-install-upgrade/topics/topic-map/vm-host-overview.html#id-routing-en
technical-description

Sources

CVE List CVE-2025-52983
NVD CVE-2025-52983

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary