Skip to main content

Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm

CVE-2021-22212

Severity High
Score 7.4/10

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.

  • HIGH
  • NETWORK
  • HIGH
  • UNCHANGED
  • NONE
  • NONE
  • HIGH
  • NONE

CWE-327 - Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm

The use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm is an unnecessary risk that may result in the exposure of sensitive information.

References

Advisory Timeline

  • Published