CVE-2023-4012

Incomplete Internal State Distinction in ntpsec

7.5 HighFix available

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled client request (mode 3).

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: None
User interaction: None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality: None
Integrity: None
Availability: High

Exploit likelihood

0.45%Up 0.4 points since Aug 8, 2023

What each source reports

CVE List Score used7.5

Incomplete Internal State Distinction in ntpsec

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled client request (mode 3).

Record: CVE-2023-4012
CVSS 3.1: 7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness: CWE-372
Updated: 2026-11-02

EUVDEUVD-2023-539057.5

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled client request (mode 3).

Record: EUVD-2023-53905
CVSS 3.1: 7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-02

GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-777h-w3h9-x4qv7.5

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled...

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled client request (mode 3).

Record: GHSA-777h-w3h9-x4qv
CVSS 3.1: 7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness: CWE-372
Updated: 2026-11-02

NVD7.5

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled client request (mode 3).

Record: CVE-2023-4012
CVSS 3.1: 7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness: CWE-372
Updated: 2026-11-02

OSVALPINE-CVE-2023-40127.5

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled client request (mode 3).

Record: ALPINE-CVE-2023-4012
CVSS 3.1: 7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-03

OSV7.5

Incomplete Internal State Distinction in ntpsec

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled client request (mode 3).

Record: CVE-2023-4012
CVSS 3.1: 7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness: CWE-372
Updated: 2026-11-02

OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2023-40127.5

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled client request (mode 3).

Record: DEBIAN-CVE-2023-4012
CVSS 3.1: 7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-02

OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2023-40127.5

ntpd will crash if the server is not NTS-enabled (no certificate) and it receives an NTS-enabled client request (mode 3).

Record: UBUNTU-CVE-2023-4012
CVSS 3.1: 7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated: 2026-11-02

OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:13463-1No score

libntpc1-1.2.2a-1.1 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the libntpc1-1.2.2a-1.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record: openSUSE-SU-2024:13463-1
Updated: 2026-11-02

Affected products

ntpsec

Affected packages

Affected packages
Package	Affected	Fixed
`ntpsec` Alpine:v3.18	before 1.2.2a-r0	1.2.2a-r0
`ntpsec` Alpine:v3.19	before 1.2.2a-r0	1.2.2a-r0
`ntpsec` Alpine:v3.20	before 1.2.2a-r0	1.2.2a-r0
`ntpsec` Alpine:v3.21	before 1.2.2a-r0	1.2.2a-r0
`ntpsec` Alpine:v3.22	before 1.2.2a-r0	1.2.2a-r0
`ntpsec` Alpine:v3.23	before 1.2.2a-r0	1.2.2a-r0
`ntpsec` Alpine:v3.24	before 1.2.2a-r0	1.2.2a-r0
`ntpsec` Debian:12	before 1.2.2+dfsg1-1+deb12u1, plus listed versions 1.2.2+dfsg1-1	1.2.2+dfsg1-1+deb12u1
`ntpsec` Debian:13	before 1.2.2+dfsg1-2	1.2.2+dfsg1-2
`ntpsec` Debian:14	before 1.2.2+dfsg1-2	1.2.2+dfsg1-2
`ntpsec` Ubuntu:18.04:LTS	All versions, plus listed versions 1.0.0+dfsg1-11.0.0+dfsg1-31.1.0+dfsg1-11.1.0+dfsg1-1ubuntu0.11.1.0+dfsg1-1ubuntu0.2	None known
`ntpsec` Ubuntu:20.04:LTS	All versions, plus listed versions 1.1.3+dfsg1-21.1.7+dfsg1-11.1.7+dfsg1-21.1.8+dfsg1-11.1.8+dfsg1-31.1.8+dfsg1-41.1.8+dfsg1-4build1	None known
`ntpsec` Ubuntu:22.04:LTS	All versions, plus listed versions 1.2.0+dfsg1-41.2.1+dfsg1-21.2.1+dfsg1-31.2.1+dfsg1-3ubuntu11.2.1+dfsg1-4	None known

History

History
Recorded	Changed	Sources
Nov 3, 2026	affected, aliases, references	OSV
Nov 2, 2026	first indexed	CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2023-4012 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Ntpsec, published August 4, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.45%, the 39th percentile. Fixed in ntpsec 1.2.2a-r0.

References

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