Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2015-7974

high Nessus Plugin ID 218985

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Synopsis

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be patched.

Description

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

- NTP 4.x before 4.2.8p6 and 4.3.x before 4.3.90 do not verify peer associations of symmetric keys when authenticating packets, which might allow remote attackers to conduct impersonation attacks via an arbitrary trusted key, aka a skeleton key. (CVE-2015-7974)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

Solution

There is no known solution at this time.

Plugin Details

Severity: High

ID: 218985

File Name: unpatched_CVE_2015_7974.nasl

Version: 1.2

Type: local

Agent: unix

Family: Misc.

Published: 3/4/2025

Updated: 9/4/2025

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Azure, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 5.2

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 4

Temporal Score: 3.1

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2015-7974

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.7

Temporal Score: 6.9

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:P/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ntp, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ntp-doc, cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:5, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ntp-perl, p-cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:ntpdate

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, global_settings/vendor_unpatched, Host/OS/identifier

Exploit Available: true

Exploit Ease: Exploits are available

Vulnerability Publication Date: 1/19/2016

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2015-7974

Detections

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