HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2016-9042
MEDIUM

CVE-2016-9042

CWE-20Published: June 4, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.9
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An exploitable denial of service vulnerability exists in the origin timestamp check functionality of ntpd 4.2.8p9. A specially crafted unauthenticated network packet can be used to reset the expected origin timestamp for target peers. Legitimate replies from targeted peers will fail the origin timestamp check (TEST2) causing the reply to be dropped and creating a denial of service condition.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2016-9042 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 availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 5.9.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

freebsd1 product(s)
freebsd
hpe1 product(s)
hpux-ntp
ntp1 product(s)
ntp
siemens2 product(s)
simatic net cp 443-1 opc ua firmwaresimatic net cp 443-1 opc ua
Source: NVD CPE · 6 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/97046
ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038123
ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039427
ADVISORYhttps://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-211752.pdf
ADVISORYhttps://security.FreeBSD.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-17:03.ntp.asc
ADVISORYhttps://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbux03962en_us
ADVISORYhttps://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2016-0260
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/97046
ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038123
ADVISORYhttp://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039427
ADVISORYhttps://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-211752.pdf
ADVISORYhttps://security.FreeBSD.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-17:03.ntp.asc
ADVISORYhttps://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbux03962en_us
ADVISORYhttps://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2016-0260

All References (42)

→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/142101/FreeBSD-Security-Advisory-FreeBSD-SA-17-03.ntp.html
→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/142284/Slackware-Security-Advisory-ntp-Updates.html
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2017/Nov/7
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2017/Sep/62
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/540403/100/0/threaded
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/archive/1/540403/100/0/threaded
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/archive/1/540464/100/0/threaded
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/97046Permissions Required · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038123Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039427Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3349-1
→
https://bto.bluecoat.com/security-advisory/sa147
→
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-211752.pdfThird Party Advisory
→
https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10201
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7KVLFA3J43QFIP4I7HE7KQ5FXSMJEKC6/

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2016-9042
CVSS Score5.9 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-20
CISA KEVNo
Affected4 vendor(s)
PublishedJun 4, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-20)

CVE-2008-0244
10.0
CVE-2007-6494
10.0
CVE-2003-1425
10.0
CVE-2021-21321
10.0
CVE-2024-22476
10.0
CVE-2008-4910
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2016-9042 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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