Security flaws and workarounds for IEEE 1588 (transparent) clocks

Abstract

Synchronized clocks are fundamental for multiple applications sometimes also requiring to protect clock synchronization protocol information against malicious attacks. This article analyses security vulnerabilities of the IEEE 1588 clock synchronization protocol caused by a flaw in the integrity check value (ICV) calculation. The paper elaborates counter measures that protect protocol addresses and prevent the misuse of security associations to replay IEEE 1588 messages.