CVE-2010-20115 in Vermillion FTP Daemon
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2025
Arcane Software’s Vermillion FTP Daemon (vftpd) versions up to and including 1.31 contains a memory corruption vulnerability triggered by a malformed FTP PORT command. The flaw arises from an out-of-bounds array access during input parsing, allowing an attacker to manipulate stack memory and potentially execute arbitrary code. Exploitation requires direct access to the FTP service and is constrained by a single execution attempt if the daemon is installed as a Windows service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-20115 affects Arcane Software's Vermillion FTP Daemon version 1.31 and earlier, representing a critical memory corruption flaw that stems from improper input validation during FTP command processing. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the daemon receives a malformed PORT command, which is a standard FTP command used to specify the IP address and port number for data connection establishment. The flaw constitutes a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs due to an out-of-bounds array access during the parsing of user-supplied data, making it particularly dangerous for network services that handle untrusted input from remote clients.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear violation of secure coding practices, aligning with CWE-121 which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions. When the vftpd daemon processes the malformed PORT command, the input parsing routine fails to properly validate the length of the supplied data, resulting in memory corruption that can overwrite adjacent stack variables and potentially manipulate the instruction pointer. This type of memory corruption vulnerability creates an attack surface that allows for arbitrary code execution, as the corrupted stack memory can be manipulated to redirect program execution flow. The vulnerability's exploitation requires direct network access to the FTP service and presents a constrained attack model where the daemon's single execution attempt limitation reduces the window of opportunity for successful exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it represents a significant threat to system integrity and confidentiality within environments where FTP services are deployed. The constraint that the daemon operates with a single execution attempt when installed as a Windows service creates a unique exploitation challenge for attackers, though it does not eliminate the risk entirely. The vulnerability affects systems where the Vermillion FTP Daemon is actively running and accepting connections, potentially compromising entire network infrastructure if the service is not properly secured or updated. Organizations utilizing this FTP daemon face potential unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and system compromise scenarios that could have cascading effects throughout their network environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as the vulnerability is well-documented and remediation is available through software updates from the vendor. Network segmentation and access control measures can provide additional defense-in-depth layers, including restricting direct FTP service access to trusted networks and implementing firewall rules that limit exposure to unauthorized clients. The implementation of network monitoring solutions that can detect malformed FTP commands and anomalous network traffic patterns provides early warning capabilities for potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious FTP protocol behaviors, as well as conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially affected services or applications within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would fall within the execution and privilege escalation domains, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls that address both immediate exploitation prevention and long-term system hardening measures.