CVE-2021-22212
ntpkeygen can generate keys that ntpd fails to parse. NTPsec 1.2.0 allows ntpkeygen to generate...
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.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.0
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.
- Record
CVE-2021-22212- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-9358
4.0
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.
- Record
EUVD-2021-9358- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-57r9-f9gp-9f2x
7.4
ntpkeygen can generate keys that ntpd fails to parse. NTPsec 1.2.0 allows ntpkeygen to generate...
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.
- Record
GHSA-57r9-f9gp-9f2x- CVSS 3.1
- 7.4 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-327
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
4.0
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.
- Record
CVE-2021-22212- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.4 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 5.8 Medium
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-327
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2021-22212
7.4
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.
- Record
ALPINE-CVE-2021-22212- CVSS 3.1
- 7.4 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSV
7.4
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.
- Record
CVE-2021-22212- CVSS 3.1
- 7.4 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2021-22212
7.4
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.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2021-22212- CVSS 3.1
- 7.4 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:11103-1 No score
libntpc1-1.2.1-1.2 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the libntpc1-1.2.1-1.2 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:11103-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
ntpsecAlpine:v3.14 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
ntpsecAlpine:v3.15 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
ntpsecAlpine:v3.16 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
ntpsecAlpine:v3.17 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
ntpsecAlpine:v3.18 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
ntpsecAlpine:v3.19 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
ntpsecAlpine:v3.20 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
ntpsecAlpine:v3.21 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
ntpsecAlpine:v3.22 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
ntpsecAlpine:v3.23 |
before 1.2.1-r0 | 1.2.1-r0 |
Show 5 moreShow less
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, aliases, references | OSV | |
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-22212 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.0) in Ntpsec, published June 8, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.52%, the 44th percentile. Fixed in ntpsec 1.2.1-r0.
References
gitlab.com/NTPsec/ntpsec/-/issues/699
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1955859
gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cves/-/blob/master/2021/CVE-2021-22212.json
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3GIT2HYL5BQXPGKI6ZDNG473IEQ5WQF2
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22212
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/3GIT2HYL5BQXPGKI6ZDNG473IEQ5WQF2
Show 8 moreShow less
github.com/advisories/GHSA-57r9-f9gp-9f2x
security.alpinelinux.org/vuln/CVE-2021-22212
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2021-22212
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-7182
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2019-6442
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2019-6443
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2019-6445
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-22212