Executive brief
The wu-ftpd software is a service used to transfer files between computers over a network. A configuration flaw in version 2.4 allows users who have logged into the server to execute restricted system commands. This could allow an attacker to take complete control of the server, potentially leading to the theft of sensitive data or a total service shutdown.
Technical details
The vulnerability exists in wu-ftpd 2.4 due to an insecure default or manual configuration of the _PATH_EXECPATH setting. When this path is set to a directory containing sensitive system binaries (like /bin), the 'site exec' command can be abused to run those binaries with the privileges of the FTP daemon. An authenticated remote attacker can leverage this to execute arbitrary commands, typically resulting in a full root compromise of the host system. This issue is categorized as an improper path configuration leading to command execution.
Affected products
- Washington University wu-ftpd 2.4
Timeline
- 1995-11-30: advisory: Initial publication date