A missing authentication flaw in the Flexible PIC Concentrators of Juniper Networks Junos OS Evolved allows a local user with low privileges to bypass normal controls and obtain direct access to the installed FPCs as a high privileged user. This escalation can lead to a complete takeover of the affected component and, potentially, the overall device.

The vulnerability affects Junos OS Evolved running on the PTX series devices PTX10004, PTX10008, and PTX100016 that are equipped with JNP10K-LC1201 or JNP10K-LC1202 modules. All firmware releases before 21.2R3‑S8‑EVO, the 21.4‑EVO series before 21.4R3‑S7‑EVO, the 22.2‑EVO series before 22.2R3‑S4‑EVO, the 22.3‑EVO series before 22.3R3‑S3‑EVO, the 22.4‑EVO series before 22.4R3‑S2‑EVO, and the 23.2‑EVO series before 23.2R2‑EVO are impacted.

With a CVSS score of 8.5, this issue poses a high severity risk; its EPSS score is not publicly available and it is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The attack requires local access and an authenticated low‑privileged account. By exploiting the missing authentication, the attacker can gain unauthorized high‑privilege access to the FPCs, potentially enabling full device compromise. Due to the local nature of the vector and the need for credentialed access, the exploitability is moderate to high within environments where low‑privilege users can interact with the device CLI.