# GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p: ntpd has Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component

> An attacker can cause excessive CPU usage on NTP clients using NTS by triggering expensive key validation via a vulnerable dependency.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Aug 2023

## What is GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p?

GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p is a denial of service vulnerability in ntpd, published on 24 Aug 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

During startup, an attacker that can man-in-the-middle traffic to and from NTS key exchange servers can trigger a very expensive key validation process due to a vulnerability in webpki.

### Impact
This vulnerability can lead to excessive cpu usage on startup on clients configured to use NTS

### Patches
Affected users are recommended to upgrade to version 0.3.7

### References
See also https://github.com/rustsec/advisory-db/blob/main/crates/rustls-webpki/RUSTSEC-2023-0053.md

## Which versions are affected by GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including ntpd.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `ntpd` | crates.io | All versions | 0.3.7 |
| `ntpd` | crates.io | All versions | 0.3.7 |

## How do I fix GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p?

Upgrade ntpd to 0.3.7 or later.

## Is GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p is a denial of service vulnerability in ntpd, published on 24 Aug 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- ntpd (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 0.3.7
- ntpd (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 0.3.7

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/GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/GHSA-37xq-q42p-rv3p/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.