HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2016-1551
LOW

CVE-2016-1551

CWE-254Published: January 27, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

3.7
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

ntpd in NTP 4.2.8p3 and NTPsec a5fb34b9cc89b92a8fef2f459004865c93bb7f92 relies on the underlying operating system to protect it from requests that impersonate reference clocks. Because reference clocks are treated like other peers and stored in the same structure, any packet with a source ip address of a reference clock (127.127.1.1 for example) that reaches the receive() function will match that reference clock's peer record and will be treated as a trusted peer. Any system that lacks the typical martian packet filtering which would block these packets is in danger of having its time controlled by an attacker.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-1551 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.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

ntp1 product(s)
ntp
ntpsec1 product(s)
ntpsec
Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (14)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2016-1551
CVSS Score3.7 / 10
SeverityLOW
WeaknessCWE-254
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 27, 2017

Related CVEs (CWE-254)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2016-1551 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.