Daemon crash via malformed FTP command parsing
Published Dec 22, 2023 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Out-of-bounds read in ProFTPD before 1.3.8a allows remote attackers to crash the FTP daemon with a malformed command. make_ftp_cmd lets pr_str_get_word interpret quotes and backslashes in the command name, then uses the shortened word length to scan the remaining input buffer past its end. No authentication or user interaction is required; the demonstrated consequence is a daemon crash rather than data disclosure or code execution.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds read in ProFTPD before 1.3.8a allows remote attackers to crash the FTP daemon with a malformed command. make_ftp_cmd lets pr_str_get_word interpret quotes and backslashes in the command name, then uses the shortened word length to scan the remaining input buffer past its end. No authentication or user interaction is required; the demonstrated consequence is a daemon crash rather than data disclosure or code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-51713
- Published
- Dec 22, 2023
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-125, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 22, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- ProFTPD FTP command crash reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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