# CVE-2015-7851: Path traversal in n/a

> Remote authenticated users can overwrite arbitrary files via directory traversal in NTP on systems using non-standard path separators.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 28 Jan 2020
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2015-7851, GHSA-qp94-wj83-fxfq

## What is CVE-2015-7851?

CVE-2015-7851 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Ntp Ntp, published on 28 Jan 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Directory traversal vulnerability in the save_config function in ntpd in ntp_control.c in NTP before 4.2.8p4, when used on systems that do not use '\' or '/' characters for directory separation such as OpenVMS, allows remote authenticated users to overwrite arbitrary files.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-7851?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ntp Ntp.

## How do I fix CVE-2015-7851?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2015-7851 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-7851 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ntp Ntp

- [CVE-2018-12327](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-12327/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-6460](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6460/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-11331](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11331/): Other in n/a (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2017-6451](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6451/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2017-6452](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6452/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2015-7851 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2015-7851 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Ntp Ntp, published on 28 Jan 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-7851 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ntp Ntp. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-7851/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-7851/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-7851
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-7851
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-7851

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-7851/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.