Network Time Protocol Vulnerability Threatens Bitcoin Users

     Another security threat to the Internet and Bitcoin users around the world is the increasing overhead. The Network Time Protocol, commonly used to ensure that the internal clocks of electronic devices are perfectly synchronized, is easily tampered with. Considering that the communication between devices and the Network Time Protocol is almost never encrypted, the possibility of a man-in-the-middle attack is extremely high.

     In this day and age, any form of encrypted communication is a major security risk. Especially when we are talking about services used by every computer in the world today, such as the Network Time Protocol. Hackers can remotely reset the clock and date of a device, which has the potential to cause catastrophic events for businesses and users around the world.

Bitcoin users vulnerable to attacks

     All a hacker needs to do to attack a Bitcoin user is to change time back in a matter of hours, rather than days or even years. When a Bitcoin user is attacked by a hacker, legitimate blockchain transaction entries may eventually be rejected, which will cause serious damage to the blockchain and most services connected to it.

     While it may seem easy to detect a tampered computer or other device, in limited environments, a Network Time Protocol vulnerability could still cause confusion or, more likely, become an additional tool for hackers to try and exploit weaker systems and devices for other attempts.

     That being said, it is nearly impossible to secure a computer and its communications with a legitimate NTP server. Encrypted communications are an option, but getting the NIST core is a difficult task. Other encryption options are available, but few services support them.