HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2019-6442
MEDIUMPOC

CVE-2019-6442

CWE-787Published: January 16, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An issue was discovered in NTPsec before 1.1.3. An authenticated attacker can write one byte out of bounds in ntpd via a malformed config request, related to config_remotely in ntp_config.c, yyparse in ntp_parser.tab.c, and yyerror in ntp_parser.y.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-6442 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 6.5.

A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2019-6442. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-787): Out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities can lead to data corruption, crashes, or arbitrary code execution.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

ntpsec1 product(s)
ntpsec
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

POC AVAILABLEProof-of-concept code exists
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

All References (8)

https://dumpco.re/blog/ntpsec-bugsExploit · Third Party Advisory
https://dumpco.re/bugs/ntpsec-authed-oobwriteExploit · Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ntpsec/ntpsec/blob/NTPsec_1_1_3/NEWSRelease Notes · Third Party Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46178/Exploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
https://dumpco.re/blog/ntpsec-bugsExploit · Third Party Advisory
https://dumpco.re/bugs/ntpsec-authed-oobwriteExploit · Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ntpsec/ntpsec/blob/NTPsec_1_1_3/NEWSRelease Notes · Third Party Advisory
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46178/Exploit · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2019-6442
CVSS Score6.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-787
CISA KEVNo
ExploitPOC
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 16, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-787)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2019-6442 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.