Exploiting CVE-2016-1551 requires specific conditions, leading to a moderate security impact.
Status: Modified
Last updated: 🕝 21 Nov 2024, 02:46 UTC
Originally published on: 🕠 27 Jan 2017, 17:59 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 2854 days
CVSS Release: version 3
nvd@nist.gov
Primary
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
CVE-2016-1551: 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.
The exploitability of CVE-2016-1551 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2016-1551 presents a challenge to exploit due to its high attack complexity, but the absence of privilege requirements still makes it a viable target for skilled attackers. A thorough security review is advised.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2016-1551, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2016-1551, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.
EPSS Score: 0.495% (probability of exploit)
EPSS Percentile: 76.42%
(lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 23.58% of others.
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