CVE-2010-20103

CRITICAL
Published Aug 20, 2025 Modified Sep 24, 2025 CWE-912

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 v3.1 Score

9.8
CRITICAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-912 CWE-912

Affected Products

Vendor Product
proftpd proftpd

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-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 privileges. This allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to run any OS command on the FTP server host. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).
How severe is CVE-2010-20103? +
CVE-2010-20103 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 out of 10, rated CRITICAL. This is a critical vulnerability that should be patched immediately.
What products are affected by CVE-2010-20103? +
CVE-2010-20103 affects products from proftpd, specifically: proftpd. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2010-20103? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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