# CVE-2026-102485: NTPsec ntpd out-of-bounds read in Motorola Oncore driver

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-102485-out-of-bounds-read-in-the-motorola-oncore-refclock-driver-in  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-21. Updated: 2026-10-21  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-102485 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.2 · Published 2026-10-21

NTPsec ntpd is a network time synchronization daemon used to keep computer clocks accurate across networks. An attacker who can control a Motorola Oncore GPS receiver's serial data can crash ntpd or read sensitive memory by sending a malformed GPS response, disrupting time synchronization and potentially enabling further attacks.

Technologies: [Ntpsec Ntpd](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/ntpsec-ntpd). Vendors: [Ntpsec](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/ntpsec).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-102485 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-102485 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-102485?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.2, published 21 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Ntpsec Ntpd before 1.2.6.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-102485?** Yes: fixed in NTPsec ntpd 1.2.6. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-102485 attacked?** It is attacked over the network or from the adjacent network, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-102485?** Check whether you run Ntpsec Ntpd at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in NTPsec ntpd 1.2.6

## Technical details

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in the Motorola Oncore refclock driver (refclock_oncore.c) where an unchecked user-controlled byte from a PPS Control (@@Gc) reply is used as an array index without bounds checking. An attacker controlling the GPS receiver's serial data can trigger a read beyond the 4-element lookup table, causing denial of service or information disclosure. The fix adds a bounds check and replaces out-of-range indices with a safe default value.

## Affected products

- NTPsec ntpd before 1.2.6

## Timeline

- 2026-09-28: patched: Patch committed to fix tbl[4] index overflow
- 2026-10-21: disclosed

## References

- [https://gitlab.com/NTPsec/ntpsec/-/commit/22a09b3aec58831a9e4a008f3f22caa155f969c2](https://gitlab.com/NTPsec/ntpsec/-/commit/22a09b3aec58831a9e4a008f3f22caa155f969c2)
- [https://gitlab.com/NTPsec/ntpsec/-/work_items/895](https://gitlab.com/NTPsec/ntpsec/-/work_items/895)

## Related threats

- [NTPsec ntpd out-of-bounds read in NTS extension parsing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-102486-out-of-bounds-read-in-nts-extension-field-parsing-in-ntpsec-ntpd)
- [NTPsec ntpd heap buffer overflow in JJY refclock driver](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-102484-heap-based-buffer-overflow-in-the-jjy-refclock-driver-in-ntpsec)
- [NTPsec ntpd denial of service in NTS Cookie handling](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-102483-reachable-exit-in-ntpsec-ntpd-1-1-4-through-1-2-5-allows-a)