CVE-2022-22180: An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in the processing of specific IPv6 packets on certain EX Series devices may lead to exhaus

An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in the processing of specific IPv6 packets on certain EX Series devices may lead to exhaus

An Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerability in the processing of specific IPv6 packets on certain EX Series devices may lead to exhaustion of DMA memory causing a Denial of Service (DoS). Over time, exploitation of this vulnerability may cause traffic to stop being forwarded, or a crash of the fxpc process. An indication of the issue occurring may be observed through the following log messages: Sep 13 17:14:59 hostname : %PFE-3: fpc0 (buf alloc) failed allocating packet buffer Sep 13 17:14:59 hostname : %PFE-7: fpc0 brcm_pkt_buf_alloc:393 (buf alloc) failed allocating packet buffer When Packet DMA heap utilization reaches 99%, the system will become unstable. Packet DMA heap utilization can be monitored using the command: user@junos# request pfe execute target fpc0 timeout 30 command "show heap" ID Base Total(b) Free(b) Used(b) % Name -- ---------- ----------- ----------- ----------- --- ----------- 0 213301a8 536870488 387228840 149641648 27 Kernel 1 91800000 8388608 3735120 4653488 55 DMA 2 92000000 75497472 74452192 1045280 1 PKT DMA DESC 3 d330000 335544320 257091400 78452920 23 Bcm_sdk 4 96800000 184549376 2408 184546968 99 Packet DMA <<<< 5 903fffe0

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by sirt@juniper.net

What it means for a small business

Junos OS is network equipment or remote-access software: the box between your office and the internet. These are a favorite target because breaking one opens the whole office.

If an IT provider set it up, ask them to confirm the firmware version and the date it was updated. If nobody looks after it, that's the bigger problem.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.93%, higher than 60% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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