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CVE-2010-20103

ProFTPD 1.3.3c Backdoor Command Execution

Published: Aug 20, 2025Updated: Sep 24, 2025 Sources: CVE List NVDCWE-912
NVD MITRE
9.8CVSSCRITICAL
EPSS Score
4.8%
Top 9.3%
CISA KEV
Not in KEV
Exploits
3 Known
Remediation
No Fix Available
Am I actually vulnerable?1 Nuclei template available — see how to check your systems. How to verify

Description

A malicious backdoor was embedded in the official ProFTPD 1.3.3c source tarball distributed between November 28 and December 2, 2010. The backdoor implements a hidden FTP command trigger that, when invoked, causes the server to execute arbitrary shell commands with root privileges. This allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to run any OS command on the FTP server host.

CVSS Vector Breakdown

AV:NAC:LPR:NUI:NS:UC:HI:HA:H
Exploitability
AV:NAttack Vector
Network
AC:LAttack Complexity
Low
PR:NPrivileges Required
None
UI:NUser Interaction
None
Scope
S:UScope
Unchanged
Impact
C:HConfidentiality
High
I:HIntegrity
High
A:HAvailability
High
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Weaknesses

CWE-912

Affected Products

proftpdproftpd
On-prem
Networking Infrastructure / network-management
ProFTPD (Professional FTP Daemon)ProFTPD Project
On-prem
Networking Infrastructure / network-management
proftpdoss-projectNetworking Infrastructureaka proftpd, proftpd-dfsg
proftpd projectoss-projectNetworking Infrastructureaka proftpd (professional ftp daemon), proftpd

Exploitability

3 exploit sources identified

Exploit details including PoC links, Metasploit modules, and scanner templates are available after registration.

View exploit details

References

http://www.proftpd.org/
proftpd.org
https://advisories.checkpoint.com/defense/advisories/public/2011/cpai-2010-151.html/
advisories.checkpoint.com
https://github.com/proftpd/proftpd
github.com
and 5 more references View all →

Timeline

Published
Aug 20, 2025
Last Updated
Sep 24, 2025

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