CVE-2015-7755
KEVJuniper ScreenOS Improper Authentication Vulnerability
Description
Juniper ScreenOS contains an improper authentication vulnerability that could allow unauthorized remote administrative access to the device.
Juniper ScreenOS 6.2.0r15 through 6.2.0r18, 6.3.0r12 before 6.3.0r12b, 6.3.0r13 before 6.3.0r13b, 6.3.0r14 before 6.3.0r14b, 6.3.0r15 before 6.3.0r15b, 6.3.0r16 before 6.3.0r16b, 6.3.0r17 before 6.3.0r17b, 6.3.0r18 before 6.3.0r18b, 6.3.0r19 before 6.3.0r19b, and 6.3.0r20 before 6.3.0r21 allows remote attackers to obtain administrative access by entering an unspecified password during a (1) SSH or (2) TELNET session.
CVSS 3.1 vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HPublishedDec 19, 2015
Last modifiedJun 17, 2026
Added to KEVOct 2, 2025
Remediation dueOct 23, 2025
References
- arstechnica.com/security/2015/12/unauthorized-code-in-juniper-firewalls-decrypts-encrypted-vpn-traffic/Third Party Advisory
- kb.juniper.net/InfoCenter/index?page=content&id=JSA10713ExploitVendor Advisory
- twitter.com/cryptoron/statuses/677900647560253442Broken Link
- forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2015/12/18/juniper-says-it-didnt-work-with-government-to-add-unauthorized-code-to-network-gear/Permissions Required
- kb.cert.org/vuls/id/640184Third Party Advisory
- securityfocus.com/bid/79626Broken Link
- securitytracker.com/id/1034489Broken Link
- wired.com/2015/12/juniper-networks-hidden-backdoors-show-the-risk-of-government-backdoors/Third Party Advisory
- adamcaudill.com/2015/12/17/much-ado-about-juniper/Third Party Advisory
- forums.juniper.net/t5/Security-Incident-Response/Important-Announcement-about-ScreenOS/ba-p/285554Vendor Advisory
- github.com/hdm/juniper-cve-2015-7755Third Party Advisory
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2015-7755US Government Resource
0 recent articles mention this CVE
85
Risk assessment · Critical
Actively exploited. Patch immediately.
- Exploitation
- Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Federal remediation deadline
- Overdue by 369 days
- CVSS
- 9.8 CRITICAL
- EPSS (30-day exploit probability)
- 61.1% · top 1% of all CVEs
- Weakness
- CWE-287
- Attack vector
- Network, remotely reachable
- Preconditions
- No privileges and no user interaction
Recommended actions
- 1.Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- 2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
- 3.Review exposure: confirm which instances are reachable from the internet and restrict access until patched.
- 4.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.
Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.