NTP Server That Traveled Back In Time Caused Massive Aussie Mobile Outage
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:
NTP server that traveled back in time caused massive Aussie mobile outage
Australian telco Telstra has revealed the cause of the recent incident that caused widespread connectivity problems across its mobile networks, inculding outages to Australia's 000 emergency services line, plus outages to electronic payments services and transport networks.
[...] The outage did happen because once the NTP server came online it reset its clocks to the year 2006.
The server then did what NTP servers do: publish that time to myriad other machines across the network.
Once those machines received the incorrect time, other kit on the Telstra network compared digital certificates and decided something dodgy was going on - so denied connections.
[...] That wasn't the end of the matter, because as valid time information rippled across the network, some equipment didn't close IP sessions. Customer devices therefore couldn't reconnect to the network unless rebooted.
[..] The carrier has done the usual thing by promising to conduct deep and lengthy self-reflection, submit itself to further flagellation at more inquiries, co-operate with a probe by the relevant regulator, and to do what it takes to prevent similar incidents.
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