Skip to content
Noroxi
CVE-2018-12327· NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

Stack-based buffer overflow in ntpq and ntpdc of NTP version 4.2.8p11 allows an attacker to achieve code execution or escalate to higher pri

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Plan (action score 47/100)

  • Public proof-of-concept code exists (Exploit-DB); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 28% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 98% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: ntp (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 4.2.8p15-7.2; ntp (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client) 0:4.2.6p5-15.el6_10; ntp-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client) 0:4.2.6p5-15.el6_10.

Add it to your regular patch cycle. Upgrade to ntp (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 4.2.8p15-7.2; ntp (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client) 0:4.2.6p5-15.el6_10; ntp-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client) 0:4.2.6p5-15.el6_10 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

Stack-based buffer overflow in ntpq and ntpdc of NTP version 4.2.8p11 allows an attacker to achieve code execution or escalate to higher privileges via a long string as the argument for an IPv4 or IPv6 command-line parameter. NOTE: It is unclear whether there are any common situations in which ntpq or ntpdc is used with a command line from an untrusted source.

CriticalCVSS 9.8 · v3.0—Proof of concept Fix available
Published
Jun 20, 2018
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
28.0% · 98th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

47

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
8 / 30 · 28.0%

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • Proof of concept exists, no weaponized module
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2018-12327

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

One daily email digest (06:00 UTC); connect a webhook for KEV listings and weaponized exploits instantly.

Your free account also gets you

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

  • Stack alerts: add the products and versions you run, get the new CVEs that affect them
  • Uptime monitoring: 1 site, instant email when it goes down
  • Add your domain: subdomains and takeover risk scanned every week (1 domain)
  • 10 scans an hour on the security tools (3 a day without an account), an API key and MCP
  • All your scans in one panel: findings, what changed in the last scan, a report per domain or per client (PDF, share link)
All free tools

Sign up with email · Have an account? Sign in

Free account, no card. Unfollow any time.

Don't want an account? Get "Exploited this week" by email every MondayDon't want an account? RSS feed for ntp records

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

Is your version affected? Check it

Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

We use this product, ask for help

Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
ntpntp

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • ntp ntp4.2.8

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:11ntpfrom 0—
openSUSE:Tumbleweedntpbefore 4.2.8p15-7.24.2.8p15-7.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientntpbefore 0:4.2.6p5-15.el6_100:4.2.6p5-15.el6_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientntp-debuginfobefore 0:4.2.6p5-15.el6_100:4.2.6p5-15.el6_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientntp-docbefore 0:4.2.6p5-15.el6_100:4.2.6p5-15.el6_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientntp-perlbefore 0:4.2.6p5-15.el6_100:4.2.6p5-15.el6_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientntpdatebefore 0:4.2.6p5-15.el6_100:4.2.6p5-15.el6_10
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientntpbefore 0:4.2.6p5-29.el70:4.2.6p5-29.el7
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientntp-debuginfobefore 0:4.2.6p5-29.el70:4.2.6p5-29.el7
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientntp-docbefore 0:4.2.6p5-29.el70:4.2.6p5-29.el7
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientntp-perlbefore 0:4.2.6p5-29.el70:4.2.6p5-29.el7
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientntpdatebefore 0:4.2.6p5-29.el70:4.2.6p5-29.el7
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientsntpbefore 0:4.2.6p5-29.el70:4.2.6p5-29.el7
Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodentpbefore 0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.60:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6
Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodentp-debuginfobefore 0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.60:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6
Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodentp-docbefore 0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.60:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6
Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodentp-perlbefore 0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.60:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6
Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodentpdatebefore 0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.60:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6
Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenodentpbefore 0:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.10:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.1
Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenodentp-debuginfobefore 0:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.10:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.1
Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenodentp-docbefore 0:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.10:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.1
Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenodentp-perlbefore 0:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.10:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.1
Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenodentpdatebefore 0:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.10:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.1
Red Hat:rhel_eus:7.6::computenodesntpbefore 0:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.10:4.2.6p5-28.el7_6.1

+5

Same product

ntp: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2015-7871Crypto-NAK packets in ntpd in NTP 4.2.x before 4.2.8p4, and 4.3.x before 4.3.77 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication.
    64This week
  • CVE-2014-9295Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in ntpd in NTP before 4.2.8 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted packet, rel
    54Plan
  • CVE-2013-5211The monlist feature in ntp_request.c in ntpd in NTP before 4.2.7p26 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (traffic amplificat
    49Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2018-7183Mar 8, 2018 · Buffer overflow in the decodearr function in ntpq in ntp 4.2.8p6 through 4.2.8p10 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by lever
    42Plan
  • ← EarlierCVE-2016-9042Jun 4, 2018 · An exploitable denial of service vulnerability exists in the origin timestamp check functionality of ntpd 4.2.8p9.
    24Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2019-11331Apr 18, 2019 · Network Time Protocol (NTP), as specified in RFC 5905, uses port 123 even for modes where a fixed port number is not required, which makes i
    33Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
opensuse:ntp4.2.8p15-7.2 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ntp0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ntp-debuginfo0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ntp-doc0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ntp-perl0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ntpdate0:4.2.6p5-5.el6_7.6 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.7::computenodePackage registry (OSV)
red hat:sntp0:4.2.6p5-29.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientPackage registry (OSV)
suse:ntp4.2.8p12-64.8.2 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Proof of concept available

A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.

Evidence

  • Exploit-DB entry ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Exploit-DB entrydos2018-06-20

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. First PoCsame day
  2. Published
  3. TodayOct 20, 2026+3044 d
EPSS, last 120 days-1% in 7 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds Write

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (6 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records