Port 37TIME Protocol
The TIME protocol is a simple network service used to synchronize computer clocks by providing the current time in a standardized format. Designed primarily for legacy systems, it transmits the number of seconds elapsed since midnight on January 1, 1900. While functional, TIME is largely superseded by more sophisticated protocols like NTP and is seldom used in modern networks..
- transport
- tcp · udp
- in transit
- cleartext
- assignment
- official
- risk
- 2/10
- lookups
- 6,293
2 transports registered
payload readable on path
registered with iana
safe
rank 802 of 993 · top 81%
Technical Details
what runs on :37The TIME protocol, defined in RFC 868, is a basic network service intended to provide a machine-readable timestamp. When a client connects, the server responds with a 32-bit unsigned integer representing the number of seconds that have elapsed since 00:00 (midnight) on January 1, 1900, GMT. This facilitates simple synchronization of the client's clock with that of the server.
It operates over both TCP and UDP on port 37. For TCP, the client initiates a connection and reads the 4-byte time response from the server before closing the connection. With UDP, the client sends a datagram, and the server responds with the timestamp in a 4-byte UDP packet.
Due to its minimal implementation, TIME lacks features such as error correction, latency compensation, or authentication. Consequently, modern systems favor Network Time Protocol (NTP), which provides greater accuracy and resilience.
Security Information
exposure of :37risk score
2/ 10safe
routine exposure. this port is rarely the way in on its own — keep it patched and logged and move on.
network services averages 3.9 across 604 ports — this one sits 1.9 below.
in transit
cleartext
credentials and payloads are readable by anyone on path
assignment
official
registered with iana for this service — scanners fingerprint it by number
reachable over
tcp · udp
udp is connectionless — source addresses are trivially spoofed and it is a reflection favourite
security overview
Common Vulnerabilities:
- Susceptible to spoofing attacks since there is no authentication.
- Vulnerable to man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks altering timestamps.
- Because it can be used as an amplifier in UDP-based DDoS attacks, exposure may be exploited by attackers.
- Potential information leakage revealing network clock settings, which can aid attackers in timing further attacks.
Common Mitigations:
- Disable the TIME protocol service unless explicitly required, favoring more secure alternatives like NTP with authentication.
- Implement access controls and limit which hosts can query the service.
- Employ firewall rules to block port 37 from untrusted networks.
- Use network monitoring to detect abnormal traffic patterns aimed at port 37.
- Maintain up-to-date network security infrastructure to reduce exposure.
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risk mix of the 8 listed
- caution100%
0 of 8 encrypted