NIST 800-53 r5 · Controls catalogue · Family SC
SC-45System Time Synchronization
Synchronize system clocks within and between systems and system components.
Last updated: 20 August 2026 20:22 UTC
Implementations targeting this control (0)
- No implementations targeting this control yet.
ATT&CK techniques this control mitigates (0)
- No ATT&CK techniques mapped to this control yet.
Weaknesses this control addresses (4)AI-assisted
CWEs ranked by how often they appear in real CVEs. The rationale describes how this control reduces exploitability of each weakness class.
| CWE | Name | CVEs | Why this control addresses it |
|---|---|---|---|
CWE-295 | Improper Certificate Validation | 1,700+ | Correct system time is required for proper enforcement of certificate notBefore/notAfter dates and time-based revocation checks. |
CWE-345 | Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity | 800+ | Time synchronization supports reliable freshness verification when checking data authenticity across systems or components. |
CWE-613 | Insufficient Session Expiration | 600+ | Consistent clocks across systems allow session expiration and timeout enforcement to function as intended in distributed environments. |
CWE-294 | Authentication Bypass by Capture-replay | 300+ | Accurate synchronized time enables tight timestamp windows that directly limit capture-replay windows in authentication protocols. |
Top CVEs where this control is the strongest mitigation
| CVE | Risk | CVSS | EPSS | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No CVEs annotated to this control yet — the per-CVE backfill is in progress. | ||||