CVE-2024-38528Network attack vector

Daemon crash via unbounded NTS-KE connections

Published Jun 28, 2024 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Denial of service in Project Pendulum ntpd-rs 0.3.1 through 1.1.2 allows remote attackers to crash configured NTS-KE servers. The NTS-KE accept loop admits unbounded parallel TCP connections, exhausts process file descriptors, and aborts when accept() returns EMFILE. Only nondefault NTS-KE server configurations are exposed; connections must arrive within the default one-second timeout, and repeated bursts can keep the daemon unavailable.

CVSS severity8.7
High
EPSS probability0.72%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in Project Pendulum ntpd-rs 0.3.1 through 1.1.2 allows remote attackers to crash configured NTS-KE servers. The NTS-KE accept loop admits unbounded parallel TCP connections, exhausts process file descriptors, and aborts when accept() returns EMFILE. Only nondefault NTS-KE server configurations are exposed; connections must arrive within the default one-second timeout, and repeated bursts can keep the daemon unavailable.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-38528
Published
Jun 28, 2024
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
Project Pendulum
Product
ntpd-rs
Classifications
CWE-770, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 28, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=>= 0.3.1, <= 1.1.2
  2. Affected versionversion=0.3.1 <=1.1.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Project Pendulum · ntpd-rsversion=>= 0.3.1, <= 1.1.2; version=0.3.1 <=1.1.2

Published CVSS scores

8.7GitHubCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
7.5GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-770Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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