HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2015-7703

HIGH

CVE-2015-7703

CWE-20Published: July 24, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.5

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The "pidfile" or "driftfile" directives in NTP ntpd 4.2.x before 4.2.8p4, and 4.3.x before 4.3.77, when ntpd is configured to allow remote configuration, allows remote attackers with an IP address that is allowed to send configuration requests, and with knowledge of the remote configuration password to write to arbitrary files via the :config command.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2015-7703 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in full integrity compromise (data manipulation), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityNone

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityNone

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)

debian linux

netapp4 product(s)

oncommand performance manageroncommand unified managerclustered data ontapdata ontap

ntp1 product(s)

ntp

Oracle1 product(s)

linux

Red Hat6 product(s)

enterprise linux desktopenterprise linux serverenterprise linux server ausenterprise linux server eusenterprise linux server tusenterprise linux workstation

Source: NVD CPE · 28 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

Security advisories & exploits

Official NIST entry

CVE Program entry

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-0780.html

ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2583.html

ADVISORYhttp://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Main/NtpBug2902

ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3388

ADVISORYhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.html

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/77278

ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1033951

ADVISORYhttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1254547

ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201607-15

ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20171004-0001/

ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-0780.html

ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2583.html

ADVISORYhttp://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Main/NtpBug2902

ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3388

ADVISORYhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.html

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/77278

ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1033951

ADVISORYhttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1254547

ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201607-15

ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20171004-0001/

All References (20)

→

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-0780.htmlThird Party Advisory

→

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2583.htmlThird Party Advisory

→

http://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Main/NtpBug2902Vendor Advisory

→

http://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3388Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.htmlThird Party Advisory

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/77278Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1033951Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1254547Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201607-15Third Party Advisory

→

https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20171004-0001/Third Party Advisory

→

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-0780.htmlThird Party Advisory

→

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2583.htmlThird Party Advisory

→

http://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Main/NtpBug2902Vendor Advisory

→

http://www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3388Third Party Advisory

→

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.htmlThird Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2015-7703

CVSS Score7.5 / 10

SeverityHIGH

WeaknessCWE-20

CISA KEVNo

Affected5 vendor(s)

PublishedJul 24, 2017

Related CVEs (CWE-20)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2015-7703 in threat intel feeds
→Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts

Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

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