CVE-2023-28961 | Junos OS: ACX Series: IPv6 firewall filter is not installed in PFE when "from next-header ah" is used

An Improper Handling of Unexpected Data Type vulnerability in IPv6 firewall filter processing of Juniper Networks Junos OS on the ACX Series devices will prevent a firewall filter with the term 'from next-header ah' from being properly installed in the packet forwarding engine (PFE). There is no immediate indication of an incomplete firewall filter commit shown at the CLI, which could allow an attacker to send valid packets to or through the device that were explicitly intended to be dropped. An indication that the filter was not installed can be identified with the following logs: fpc0 ACX_DFW_CFG_FAILED: ACX Error (dfw):dnx_dfw_rule_prepare : Config failed: Unsupported Ip-protocol 51 in the filter lo0.0-inet6-i fpc0 ACX_DFW_CFG_FAILED: ACX Error (dfw):dnx_dfw_rule_prepare : Please detach the filter, remove unsupported match and re-attach fpc0 ACX_DFW_CFG_FAILED: ACX Error (dfw):dnx_dfw_process_rule : Status:104 dnx_dfw_rule_prepare failed fpc0 ACX_DFW_CFG_FAILED: ACX Error (dfw):dnx_dfw_process_filter : Status:104 dnx_dfw_process_rule failed fpc0 ACX_DFW_CFG_FAILED: ACX Error (dfw):dnx_dfw_update_filter_in_hw : Status:104 Could not process filter(lo0.0-inet6-i) for rule expansion Unsupported match, action present. fpc0 ACX_DFW_CFG_FAILED: ACX Error (dfw):dnx_dfw_create_hw_instance : Status:104 Could not program dfw(lo0.0-inet6-i) type(IFP_DFLT_INET6_Lo0_FILTER)! [104] fpc0 ACX_DFW_CFG_FAILED: ACX Error (dfw):dnx_dfw_bind_shim : [104] Could not create dfw(lo0.0-inet6-i) type(IFP_DFLT_INET6_Lo0_FILTER) fpc0 ACX_DFW_CFG_FAILED: ACX Error (dfw):dnx_dfw_update_resolve : [100] Failed to bind filter(3) to bind point fpc0 ACX_DFW_CFG_FAILED: ACX Error (dfw):dnx_dfw_change_end : dnx_dfw_update_resolve (resolve type) failed This issue affects Juniper Networks Junos OS on ACX Series: All versions prior to 20.2R3-S7; 20.4 versions prior to 20.4R3-S4; 21.1 versions prior to 21.1R3-S3; 21.2 versions prior to 21.2R3-S4; 21.3 versions prior to 21.3R3; 21.4 versions prior to 21.4R3; 22.1 versions prior to 22.1R2.

Published: 2023-04-17 Last update: 2026-06-17 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2023-28961 is rated Low Risk (34.9/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.42%). Mandatory action: Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2023-28961

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.25% 0.42% +0.17%
2 2026-04-22 0.38% 0.25% -0.13%
3 2026-04-19 0.38%

Full EPSS history (14 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-28961

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
5.8 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
3.9 1.4 [email protected]
5.3 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
3.9 1.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-28961

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-28961

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
juniper junos < 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r1-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r1-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r1-s3:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r2-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r2-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r2-s3:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r3:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r3-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r3-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r3-s3:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r3-s4:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r3-s5:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.2:r3-s6:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r1-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r2-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r2-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 20.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:20.4:r3-s3:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r1-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r2-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r2-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r3:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r3-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.1:r3-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r1-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r1-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r2-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r2-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r3:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r3-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r3-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.2 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.2:r3-s3:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.3 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.3 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.3:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.3 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.3:r1-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.3 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.3:r1-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.3 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.3:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.3 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.3:r2-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.3 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.3:r2-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.4:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.4:r1-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.4:r1-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.4:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.4:r2-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 21.4 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:21.4:r2-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 22.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:22.1:r1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 22.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:22.1:r1-s1:*:*:*:*:*:*
juniper junos 22.1 cpe:2.3:o:juniper:junos:22.1:r1-s2:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-28961

cvelogic Threat Intelligence