Broken or risky cryptographic algorithm in ntpsec
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-327.
Summary
ntpkeygen can generate keys that ntpd fails to parse. NTPsec 1.2.0 allows ntpkeygen to generate keys with '#' characters. ntpd then either pads, shortens the key, or fails to load these keys entirely, depending on the key type and the placement of the '#'. This results in the administrator not being able to use the keys as expected or the keys are shorter than expected and easier to brute-force, possibly resulting in MITM attacks between ntp clients and ntp servers. For short AES128 keys, ntpd generates a warning that it is padding them.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NTPsec | ntpsec | =1.2.0 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- ntpsec VendorNTPsec Affected =1.2.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 2
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:ntpsec:ntpsec:1.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 1.2.0 | Vulnerable | NTPsec |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 34 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
- cpe:2.3:a:ntpsec:ntpsec:1.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.2.0 Vulnerable ·NTPsec
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 34 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-22212
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-57r9-f9gp-9f2x
References
More Ntpsec vulnerabilities
- TI-2019-04513 An issue was discovered in NTPsec before 1.1.3. CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2019-04514 An issue was discovered in NTPsec before 1.1.3. CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2019-04515 An issue was discovered in NTPsec before 1.1.3. CVSS 3.0MEDIUM 6.5
- TI-2019-04512 An issue was discovered in NTPsec before 1.1.3. CVSS 3.0MEDIUM 6.5
- TI-2023-03725 Incomplete Internal State Distinction in ntpsec CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2016-01415 ntpd in NTP 4.2.8p3 and NTPsec a5fb34b relies on the… CVSS 3.0LOW 3.7
Sources
- CVE-2021-22212 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-22212 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-57r9-f9gp-9f2x · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2021-22212 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences