Description
The xntpd ntp (ntpd) daemon before 4.2.0b, when run with the -u option and using a string to specify the group, uses the group ID of the user instead of the group, which causes xntpd to run with different privileges than intended.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 11 | ntp | 1:4.2.0a+stable-2sarge1 | — |
| Debian 3.1 | ntp | 1:4.2.0a+stable-2sarge1 | DSA-801-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 4 | ntp | 4.2.0.a.20040617-4.EL4.1 | RHSA-2006:0393 |
Advisories 2
- RHSA-2006:0393 Red Hat Security Advisory: ntp security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- DSA-801-1 ntp - programming error Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- 14673 vdb-entry
- RHSA-2006:0393 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2005-812 vendor-advisory
- 19055 vdb-entry
- 21464 third-party-advisory
- 1016679 vdb-entry
- 16602 third-party-advisory
- ADV-2005-1561 vdb-entry
- MDKSA-2005:156 vendor-advisory
- ntp-incorrect-group-permissions(22035) vdb-entry
- DSA-801 vendor-advisory
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:9669 vdb-entry signature