ssh root@<qfx-mgmt-ip> You will get Connection refused because the SSH service is disabled in factory state.
- name: Configure QFX junipernetworks.junos.junos_config: host: " inventory_hostname " user: root passwd: "" # EMPTY PASSWORD src: config.conf – Use SSH keys or vault-encrypted temporary credentials. 6.2 Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) In ZTP, the switch gets an IP from DHCP and downloads a configuration file. That file must include a root password or, better, disable root login entirely. If the ZTP config does not set authentication, the switch remains vulnerable. Part 7: Common Misconceptions Myth 1: “QFX has a default password like juniper or juniper123 ” Fact: Juniper never shipped QFX with a manufacturer-set password. The only “default” is blank for root. Myth 2: “If I set a password once, it stays forever” Fact: Factory reset, load factory-default , or certain recovery operations clear it. Myth 3: “The management port is isolated, so no risk” Fact: Insider threats, misconfigured VLANs, and rogue devices on the same management segment can exploit blank passwords. Part 8: Auditing Your QFX Fleet for Default Passwords Use this operational script to check for blank root passwords across your QFX devices: qfx default password
#!/bin/bash # qfx_check_default_pass.sh SWITCHES="qfx1 qfx2 spine1 spine2" for sw in $SWITCHES; do echo -n "$sw: " ssh -o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=3 root@$sw "show version" 2>/dev/null && \ echo "SUCCESS (has SSH key)" || \ sshpass -p '' ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no root@$sw "show version" 2>/dev/null && \ echo "FAIL - DEFAULT PASSWORD" || \ echo "OK - password protected or unreachable" done Alternatively, use Juniper’s health or audit automation scripts from the Junos Space platform. The QFX default password is not a secret—it’s the absence of a secret. A blank root password is a default that must be changed on day zero, hour zero, minute zero . In modern data centers, where east-west traffic dominates and compromised switches can eavesdrop on VXLAN tunnels, leaving a QFX with no password is equivalent to leaving the data center door unlocked with a sign saying “Valuable Servers Inside.” That file must include a root password or,
Introduction In the world of data center networking, Juniper’s QFX Series switches are ubiquitous. Designed for high-performance leaf-and-spine architectures, EVPN-VXLAN fabrics, and large-scale Layer 2/Layer 3 environments, these switches are powerful—but like all network devices, they begin their life in a vulnerable state. At the heart of that vulnerability lies a simple, often-overlooked question: What is the default password on a QFX switch? The only “default” is blank for root
request system zeroize or
Press Enter . You will see:
request system configuration rescue save request system snapshot slice alternate # for dual-root partitions 5.1 Reloading Factory Defaults If an engineer issues: