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9.3
CRITICAL CVSS 4.0
CVE-2010-20103
ProFTPD 1.3.3c Backdoor Command Execution
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.

INFO

Published Date :

Aug. 20, 2025, 4:15 p.m.

Last Modified :

Aug. 22, 2025, 6:09 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !

Source :

[email protected]
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2010-20103 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Proftpd proftpd
: Total Affected Vendor : 1 | Products : 1
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 4.0 CRITICAL [email protected]
Solution
Replace the backdoored ProFTPD version with a verified clean release and improve source code verification.
  • Obtain and verify the integrity of ProFTPD source code.
  • Replace the compromised version with a clean, verified release.
  • Implement strict source code verification procedures.
  • Monitor official distribution channels for untainted code.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2010-20103.

URL Resource
http://www.proftpd.org/
https://advisories.checkpoint.com/defense/advisories/public/2011/cpai-2010-151.html/
https://github.com/proftpd/proftpd
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/ftp/proftpd_133c_backdoor.rb
https://web.archive.org/web/20111107212129/http://rsync.proftpd.org/
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/15662
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16921
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/proftpd-backdoor-command-execution
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/ftp/proftpd_133c_backdoor.rb
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/15662
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16921
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2010-20103 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2010-20103 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2010-20103 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

Results are limited to the first 20 news articles due to potential performance issues.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2010-20103 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

    Aug. 22, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Reference https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/ftp/proftpd_133c_backdoor.rb
    Added Reference https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/15662
    Added Reference https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16921
  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Aug. 20, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added 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.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
    Added CWE CWE-912
    Added Reference http://www.proftpd.org/
    Added Reference https://advisories.checkpoint.com/defense/advisories/public/2011/cpai-2010-151.html/
    Added Reference https://github.com/proftpd/proftpd
    Added Reference https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/ftp/proftpd_133c_backdoor.rb
    Added Reference https://web.archive.org/web/20111107212129/http://rsync.proftpd.org/
    Added Reference https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/15662
    Added Reference https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16921
    Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/proftpd-backdoor-command-execution
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Scoring Details
Base CVSS Score: 9.3
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Attack Requirements
Privileges Required
User Interaction
VS Confidentiality
VS Integrity
VS Availability
SS Confidentiality
SS Integrity
SS Availability