CVE-2007-0311 in WFTPD Pro Server
Summary
by MITRE
Texas Imperial Software WFTPD and WFTPD Pro Server 3.25 and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a long SITE ADMIN command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0311 affects Texas Imperial Software WFTPD and WFTPD Pro Server versions 3.25 and earlier, presenting a significant denial of service risk that can lead to application crashes. This flaw specifically manifests when remote attackers exploit the SITE ADMIN command with excessively long input parameters, causing the FTP server application to terminate unexpectedly and become unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow condition where the server fails to properly validate the length of input data provided through the SITE ADMIN command.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the WFTPD server's command processing mechanism. When the SITE ADMIN command receives a parameter string that exceeds the allocated buffer size, the application experiences memory corruption that results in an unhandled exception and subsequent application crash. This behavior aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the software does not implement proper bounds checking or input sanitization before processing user-supplied data.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe disruption to FTP services that organizations rely upon for file transfers and data management. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can initiate denial of service attacks from anywhere on the network without requiring local access or authentication credentials. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in production environments where FTP services are critical for business operations, potentially causing service outages that affect legitimate users and business continuity. The vulnerability also provides a pathway for attackers to potentially escalate their activities by repeatedly crashing the service, creating a persistent availability issue.
The attack vector for this vulnerability operates through standard FTP protocol communication using the SITE ADMIN command, which is a legitimate administrative command used for server management functions. Attackers can craft malicious commands with excessively long parameter strings to trigger the buffer overflow condition. This vulnerability does not require authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with network access to the FTP server. The lack of proper input validation creates a direct path for arbitrary code execution potential, though the current analysis indicates the primary impact is denial of service rather than full system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-0311 should prioritize immediate patching of affected WFTPD server installations to the latest available versions that contain proper input validation and buffer management fixes. Organizations should implement network-level restrictions to limit access to FTP services to trusted networks only, and consider disabling the SITE ADMIN command if it is not required for legitimate operations. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems that can monitor for unusual command patterns and implementing proper network segmentation can help reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices such as those recommended in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and the CERT Secure Coding Standards, which emphasize proper input validation and memory management to prevent buffer overflow conditions. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management systems to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all server infrastructure.