Authenticated Network Time Synchronization Benjamin Dowling, Queensland University of Technology; Douglas Stebila, McMaster University; Greg Zaverucha, Microsoft Research https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity16/technical-sessions/presentation/dowling This paper is included in the Proceedings of the 25th USENIX Security Symposium August 10–12, 2016 • Austin, TX ISBN 978-1-931971-32-4 Open access to the Proceedings of the 25th USENIX Security Symposium is sponsored by USENIX Authenticated Network Time Synchronization Benjamin Dowling Douglas Stebila Queensland University of Technology McMaster University
[email protected] [email protected] Greg Zaverucha Microsoft Research
[email protected] Abstract sends a single UDP packet to a server (the request), who responds with a single packet containing the time (the The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is used by many response). The response contains the time the request was network-connected devices to synchronize device time received by the server, as well as the time the response with remote servers. Many security features depend on the was sent, allowing the client to estimate the network delay device knowing the current time, for example in deciding and set their clock. If the network delay is symmetric, i.e., whether a certificate is still valid. Currently, most services the travel time of the request and response are equal, then implement NTP without authentication, and the authen- the protocol is perfectly accurate. Accuracy means that tication mechanisms available in the standard have not the client correctly synchronizes its clock with the server been formally analyzed, require a pre-shared key, or are (regardless of whether the server clock is accurate in the known to have cryptographic weaknesses.