ZeroDay Findings
Sign inSign up

Findings

Vulnerability · CVE-2010-20103

ProFTPD ProFTPD Hidden Functionality

Published Aug 20, 2025 · corrected/updated Aug 20, 2025 · ProFTPD ProFTPD · evidence confidence very high

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.

Grounded briefings

Catalog interpretations for three audiences. Each brief cites ingested metadata and the original advisories below. They are not independent research and they do not invent exploit steps.

Executive

CVE-2010-20103 is a unknown public vulnerability record for ProFTPD ProFTPD. CISA lists it as known exploited. Published remediation guidance: Apply remediations or mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if remediation or mitigations are unavailable. This summary is a catalog interpretation of the ingested metadata and cites the original advisories below.

System administrator

Identify whether ProFTPD ProFTPD is in your estate, then compare installed versions with the affected ranges. Affected packages or ranges on record: ProFTPD ProFTPD. Published remediation guidance: Apply remediations or mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if remediation or mitigations are unavailable. Prefer the vendor or distribution advisory linked in Sources before changing production systems. This is a catalog interpretation, not a runbook.

Security analyst

Signals on file: no CVSS/EPSS yet. CISA lists it as known exploited. Sources contributing to this record: vulncheck_kev. Public exploit references, when present, are outbound links only and are not proof of active exploitation. This is a catalog interpretation of stored metadata.

Exploitation and remediation

  • Exploitation evidence

    Confirmed in CISA KEV since Aug 20, 2025. Listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV.

  • Patch and remediation

    Apply remediations or mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if remediation or mitigations are unavailable.

  • Safe detection guidance

    Compare installed versions with the affected ranges below and verify the advisory from the original publisher. This site stores metadata and outbound links only; it does not ship exploit code or proof-of-concept payloads.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Aug 20, 2025 · VulnCheck KEV

    Detected

    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.

  2. Aug 20, 2025 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply remediations or mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if remediation or mitigations are unavailable.

Affected

  • vendor ProFTPD ProFTPDversion unspecified

Sources

  • VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2010-20103

    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 privilege

    vulncheck.com

References