CVE-2001-0702 in Ceberus FTP Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cerberus FTP 1.5 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service, and possibly execute arbitrary code, via a long (1) username, (2) password, or (3) PASV command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0702 affects Cerberus FTP Server versions 1.5 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to disrupt service availability and potentially gain unauthorized code execution privileges. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the FTP server implementation, specifically concerning authentication credentials and command processing. The vulnerability manifests when attackers submit excessively long strings as usernames, passwords, or PASV command parameters, exploiting buffer overflow conditions that can lead to system instability and arbitrary code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious input sequences that exceed the expected buffer sizes allocated for user credentials and FTP command processing. When the FTP server receives these oversized inputs, it fails to properly validate or truncate the data before processing, resulting in memory corruption that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the FTP service account. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations and potentially redirect program execution flow.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to the affected system. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to files and directories, potentially compromising the entire server infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the core FTP protocol implementation, making it particularly dangerous as it operates at the network level where attackers can leverage it without requiring local system access or prior authentication credentials.
Organizations utilizing Cerberus FTP Server versions 1.5 or earlier should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches, implementing network segmentation to restrict FTP access, and monitoring for suspicious connection patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and buffer management in network services, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of remote services and T1072 for software deployment. System administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for anomalous FTP traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, while ensuring that all FTP services undergo regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network protocols and applications.