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What is CVE-2018-7170?A medium-severity flaw in NTP, explained.

Medium severity10 affected products
The short answer

CVE-2018-7170 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.3) in NTP, published on 6 March 2018. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 2.7%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.

Check if it affects you →How to fix it

Published 6 March 2018. Record last updated 14 January 2025. We keep this page's data up to date.

What it does

What is CVE-2018-7170? In plain terms.

It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet with an ordinary user account, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can change data.

The official description

ntpd in ntp 4.2.x before 4.2.8p7 and 4.3.x before 4.3.92 allows authenticated users that know the private symmetric key to create arbitrarily-many ephemeral associations in order to win the clock selection of ntpd and modify a victim's clock via a Sybil attack. This issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-1549.

What kind of flaw is it?

  • UnknownUnknown
CVSS 3.1 scoreMedium · 5.3

How an attack on it works

Read straight from its severity rating, translated out of the shorthand.

  • Where an attacker can beAnywhere on the internet
  • How hard it is to pull offHard: conditions must line up
  • Login needed firstAn ordinary user account
  • Does someone have to clickNo, nobody has to do anything
  • What an attacker getsCan change data

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

Exploitation

Is CVE-2018-7170 being exploited? Not that we know of.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 2.7%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

Known to be exploitedNoNot on the list of exploited flaws today
Chance of use in the next 30 days2.7%Its EPSS score, from the latest forecast

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. Record last updated
How Precursor Intelligence ranks it
18out of 100Info

CVE-2018-7170 scores 18. Action: Track.

We keep the score of every published flaw up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, and evidence that criminals are actually using it counts most. In order:

  • Evidence it is being exploitedBiggest factor
  • How severe it isStrong factor
  • How widely exposed it isSmaller factor
  • Threat activity around itSmaller factor

85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score.

When CVE-2018-7170 matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.

See your own ranked list →
Affected products

Who is affected by CVE-2018-7170? 10 products.

The published record lists 10 products from 4 vendors. Versions are shown as published: "4.2.0 to before 4.2.8" means from 4.2.0 up to, but not including, 4.2.8. If you run one of these, check your version, then go to the fix below.

  • Application

    NTP

    by NTP

    Affected versions
    4.2.0 to before 4.2.84.2.84.2.8-p1-beta14.2.8-p1-beta24.2.8-p1-beta34.2.8-p1-beta44.2.8-p1-beta54.2.8-p1-rc14.2.8-p1-rc24.2.8-p14.2.8-p2-rc14.2.8-p2-rc24.2.8-p2-rc34.2.8-p2
  • Operating system

    Diskstation Manager

    by Synology

    Affected versions
    5.2 to before 6.1.6-15266
  • Application

    Hci

    by Netapp

    Affected versions
    version not specified
  • Application

    Hpux-NTP

    by HPE

    Affected versions
    before c.4.2.8.4.0
  • Application

    Router Manager

    by Synology

    Affected versions
    1.1 to before 1.1.6-6931-3
  • Application

    Skynas

    by Synology

    Affected versions
    before 6.1.5-15254
  • Application

    Solidfire

    by Netapp

    Affected versions
    version not specified
  • Application

    Virtual Diskstation Manager

    by Synology

    Affected versions
    before 6.1.6-15266
  • Hardware

    Vs960hd

    by Synology

    Affected versions
    version not specified
Remediation

How do I fix CVE-2018-7170? Four steps.

  1. Check whether you run itCompare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
  2. Apply the vendor’s fixInstall the latest update from the vendor. The references list where the vendor has published details.
  3. If you can’t patch todayFollow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
  4. Keep an eye on itTrack the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.

References

10 links
Precursor Intelligence

Does CVE-2018-7170 affect you? We'll keep checking.

Looking flaws up one at a time doesn't scale. Tell us what you run once, and we tell you which flaws matter to you, in what order, and keep watching for new ones.

  1. Tell us what you runPick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
  2. We match it to every flawOver 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
  3. Ranked by real-world riskA 0 to 100 score, led by evidence criminals are using it.
  4. Told as soon as we knowAn alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.
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FAQ

Common questions, answered plainly.

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CVE-2018-7170 is a medium-severity flaw in NTP, published on 6 March 2018. It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet with an ordinary user account, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can change data.

It scores 5.3 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is medium. Our risk score for CVE-2018-7170 is 18 out of 100, which is Info. Its action is "Track". No sign of exploitation and a low forecast. Patch it in your normal update cycle.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 2.7%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

For NTP: 4.2.0 to before 4.2.8, 4.2.8, 4.2.8-p1-beta1, 4.2.8-p1-beta2, 4.2.8-p1-beta3, 4.2.8-p1-beta4 and 16 more. The record lists 10 products in all, each with its versions, under "Who is affected" on this page.

Install the update the vendor names in its advisory. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.

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