CVE-2004-1429 in FTP Server
Summary
by MITRE
ArGoSoft FTP 1.4.2.4 and earlier does not limit the number of times that a bad password can be entered, which makes it easier for remote attackers to guess passwords via a brute force attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1429 represents a critical security flaw in ArGoSoft FTP Server versions 1.4.2.4 and earlier, where the software fails to implement account lockout mechanisms or failed authentication attempt limiting. This weakness directly enables malicious actors to conduct brute force password guessing attacks with significantly reduced effort and time investment compared to systems with proper rate limiting or account lockout policies. The vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient account lockout mechanisms as classified by CWE-308, which specifically addresses the lack of protective measures against repeated failed authentication attempts.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the absence of any mechanism to track or limit consecutive failed login attempts within the ArGoSoft FTP server software. When a user attempts to authenticate with incorrect credentials, the system does not record these failures or impose restrictions on subsequent login attempts. This design oversight creates an environment where automated tools can rapidly iterate through password dictionaries or common credential combinations without encountering any barriers or delays that would normally be present in properly secured systems. The lack of such protective measures fundamentally undermines the authentication security model and provides attackers with an easily exploitable vector for credential compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple password guessing, as it enables a wide range of malicious activities including automated password cracking attempts, credential stuffing attacks, and systematic enumeration of valid user accounts. Attackers can leverage this weakness to systematically test numerous password combinations against multiple user accounts without triggering any protective measures that would normally be implemented in secure FTP server configurations. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where ArGoSoft FTP servers are deployed without additional network-level protections or where the server is directly exposed to internet traffic. The absence of failed attempt tracking means that even a single compromised account can be accessed through automated brute force methods, making the entire system vulnerable to unauthorized access.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including network-level restrictions such as firewall rules that limit access to FTP ports from specific IP ranges, deployment of intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious login patterns, and implementation of network-based rate limiting to control the frequency of authentication attempts. Organizations should also consider deploying additional authentication layers such as SSH key-based authentication or implementing multi-factor authentication where possible. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following security best practices outlined in the NIST Special Publication 800-128 and aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's credential access tactics, specifically targeting the use of brute force techniques to gain unauthorized access to systems. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to ensure that all authentication services properly implement account lockout mechanisms and failed attempt tracking to prevent exploitation of similar weaknesses in other components of the IT infrastructure.