CVE-2023-36845: Juniper Junos OS EX Series and SRX Series PHP External Variable Modification Vulnerability

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name

Juniper Junos OS EX Series and SRX Series PHP External Variable Modification Vulnerability

Vendor

Juniper

Product

Junos OS

Added to the catalog

2023-11-13

Due date for US federal agencies

2023-11-17

Weaknesses

CWE-473

Catalog version

2026.10.30

Juniper Junos OS on EX Series and SRX Series contains a PHP external variable modification vulnerability that allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to control an important environment variable. Using a crafted request, which sets the variable PHPRC, an attacker is able to modify the PHP execution environment allowing the injection und execution of code.

Required action (CISA)

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.

Links in CISA's notes

• https://supportportal.juniper.net/s/article/2023-08-Out-of-Cycle-Security-Bulletin-Junos-OS-SRX-Series-and-EX-Series-Multiple-vulnerabilities-in-J-Web-can-be-combined-to-allow-a-preAuth-Remote-Code-Execution?language=en_US
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-36845

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status

Analyzed

Published

2023-08-17T20:15:10.360

Last modified

2026-06-17T06:07:12.753

Weaknesses

CWE-473, NVD-CWE-Other

A PHP External Variable Modification vulnerability in J-Web of Juniper Networks Junos OS on EX Series

and SRX Series

allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to remotely execute code.

Using a crafted request which sets the variable PHPRC an attacker is able to modify the PHP execution environment allowing the injection und execution of code.


This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on EX Series


and


SRX 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

22.3R2-S2, 22.3R3-S1;
* 22.4 versions

prior to

22.4R2-S1, 22.4R3;
* 23.2 versions prior to 23.2R1-S1, 23.2R2.

References

• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174865/Juniper-SRX-Firewall-EX-Switch-Remote-Code-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176969/Juniper-SRX-Firewall-EX-Switch-Remote-Code-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://supportportal.juniper.net/JSA72300 (Vendor Advisory)
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174865/Juniper-SRX-Firewall-EX-Switch-Remote-Code-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176969/Juniper-SRX-Firewall-EX-Switch-Remote-Code-Execution.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://supportportal.juniper.net/JSA72300 (Vendor Advisory)
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-36845 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:42:08.214Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2023-36845

CVE record

Title (CNA)

Junos OS: EX and SRX Series: A PHP vulnerability in J-Web allows an unauthenticated to control an important environment variable

Assigner

juniper

State

PUBLISHED

Published

2023-08-17T19:17:57.183Z

Updated

2025-10-21T23:05:40.639Z

Problem types

CWE-473 PHP External Variable Modification

A PHP External Variable Modification vulnerability in J-Web of Juniper Networks Junos OS on EX Series

and SRX Series

allows an unauthenticated, network-based attacker to remotely execute code.

Using a crafted request which sets the variable PHPRC an attacker is able to modify the PHP execution environment allowing the injection und execution of code.


This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on EX Series


and


SRX 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

22.3R2-S2, 22.3R3-S1;
* 22.4 versions

prior to

22.4R2-S1, 22.4R3;
* 23.2 versions prior to 23.2R1-S1, 23.2R2.

References

• https://supportportal.juniper.net/JSA72300
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174865/Juniper-SRX-Firewall-EX-Switch-Remote-Code-Execution.html
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176969/Juniper-SRX-Firewall-EX-Switch-Remote-Code-Execution.html

Read on 2026-11-03T02:04:03.981Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2023/36xxx/CVE-2023-36845.json

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

MITRE D3FEND™ knowledge graph. © 2025 The MITRE Corporation.
"The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) hereby grants you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use D3FEND for research, development, and commercial purposes. Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy." Terms: https://d3fend.mitre.org/tou/