ScreenOS explained

Developer:Juniper Networks
Working State:Current
Source Model:Closed source
Latest Release Version:6.3.0r27
Latest Release Date:[1]
License:Proprietary
Succeeded By:Junos OS (on later hardware)

ScreenOS is a real-time embedded operating system for the NetScreen range of hardware firewall devices from Juniper Networks.

Features

Beside transport level security ScreenOS also integrates these flow management applications:

Possible NSA backdoor and 2015 "Unauthorized Code" incident

In December 2015, Juniper Networks announced that it had found unauthorized code in ScreenOS that had been there since August 2012. The two backdoors it created would allow sophisticated hackers to control the firewall of un-patched Juniper Netscreen products and decrypt network traffic. At least one of the backdoors appeared likely to have been the effort of a governmental interest. There was speculation in the security field about whether it was the NSA.[2] Many in the security industry praised Juniper for being transparent about the breach.[2] WIRED speculated that the lack of details that were disclosed and the intentional use of a random number generator with known security flaws could suggest that it was planted intentionally.[2]

NSA and GCHQ

A 2011 leaked NSA document says that GCHQ had current exploit capability against the following ScreenOS devices: NS5gt, N25, NS50, NS500, NS204, NS208, NS5200, NS5000, SSG5, SSG20, SSG140, ISG 1000, ISG 2000. The exploit capabilities seem consistent with the program codenamed FEEDTROUGH.[3]

Versions

ScreenOS versionRelease dateEnd of SupportEnd of life
6.3.0r2723 April 2019
6.019 April 2007 19 April 2010 19 April 2011
5.424 July 2006 24 July 2009 24 July 2010
5.324 October 2005 24 October 2008 24 October 2009
5.211 May 2005 11 May 2008 11 May 2009
5.122 October 2004 22 October 2007 22 October 2008
5.018 December 2003 18 December 2006 18 December 2007
4.01 August 2002 31 October 2006 31 October 2007

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.juniper.net/documentation/software/screenos/screenos6.3.0/rn-630r27-rev01.pdf Release Notes 6.3.0r27 Rev 01
  2. Zetter . Kim . New Discovery Around Juniper Backdoor Raises More Questions About the Company . WIRED . 2008-10-27 . 2016-01-15.
  3. Web site: NSA Helped British Spies Find Security Holes In Juniper Firewalls . . en . 2015-12-23 . 2015-12-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://theintercept.com/2015/12/23/juniper-firewalls-successfully-targeted-by-nsa-and-gchq/ . 2015-12-23 -->.