CVE-2024-38528: Unlimited number of NTS-KE connections can crash ntpd-rs server

Severity: high (CVSS 7.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.7% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2024-06-28 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-770

Description

nptd-rs is a tool for synchronizing your computer's clock, implementing the NTP and NTS protocols. There is a missing limit for accepted NTS-KE connections. This allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash ntpd-rs when an NTS-KE server is configured. Non NTS-KE server configurations, such as the default ntpd-rs configuration, are unaffected. This vulnerability has been patched in version 1.1.3.

Affected products

pendulum-project ntpd-rs: from 0.3.1 through 1.1.2

References

https://github.com/pendulum-project/ntpd-rs/security/advisories/GHSA-2xpx-vcmq-5f72
https://github.com/pendulum-project/ntpd-rs/security/advisories/GHSA-2xpx-vcmq-5f72

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