CVE-2024-38528
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditednptd-rs is a tool for synchronizing your computer's clock, implementing the NTP and NTS protocols. There is a missing limit for accepted NTS-KE connections. This allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash ntpd-rs when an NTS-KE server is configured. Non NTS-KE server configurations, such as the default ntpd-rs configuration, are unaffected. This vulnerability has been patched in version 1.1.3.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidencenptd-rs lacks rate limiting or connection limits on its NTS-KE (Network Time Security Key Exchange) server component. An unauthenticated remote attacker can flood the service with NTS-KE connections, causing resource exhaustion and crash. Only systems with explicit NTS-KE server configuration are vulnerable; default ntpd-rs setups are unaffected.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify nptd-rs installation and versionRun 'nptd-rs --version' or check your package manager for the installed nptd-rs package versionAffected if Version is lower than 1.1.3
-
Locate nptd-rs configuration fileCheck for a configuration file (commonly /etc/ntpd-rs.conf or similar) that controls the nptd-rs daemon settingsAffected if Configuration file exists on the system
-
Verify NTS-KE server is explicitly enabledExamine the configuration file for NTS-KE server settings (look for 'nts-ke', 'nts_key_exchange', or similar NTS-KE related configuration sections)Affected if NTS-KE server component is explicitly configured and enabled in the config file
-
Confirm NTS-KE port is listeningCheck if port 4460 (default NTS-KE port) is open and listening using 'netstat -tuln | grep 4460' or 'ss -tuln | grep 4460'Affected if Port 4460 is listening and accepting connections
System is affected if running nptd-rs version below 1.1.3 with NTS-KE server explicitly configured and listening on port 4460; default ntpd-rs installations without NTS-KE server are not affected.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade to nptd-rs version 1.1.3 or later. As an interim measure, implement network-level rate limiting or firewall rules to restrict NTS-KE port connections from untrusted sources.
1.1.3
- Identify the current version of ntpd-rs in use
- Upgrade ntpd-rs to version 1.1.3 or later using the project's standard upgrade method (e.g., cargo update, package manager, or binary replacement)
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version
- Restart the ntpd-rs service if necessary
- Confirm the NTS-KE server is now functioning without the vulnerability
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-38528 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-38528 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data