HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2010-20103
CRITICAL

CVE-2010-20103

CWE-912Published: August 20, 2025· Updated: Jul 15, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official 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.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2010-20103 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

proftpd1 product(s)
proftpd
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://advisories.checkpoint.com/defense/advisories/public/2011/cpai-2010-151.html/
ADVISORYhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/ftp/proftpd_133c_backdoor.rb
ADVISORYhttps://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/proftpd-backdoor-command-execution
ADVISORYhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/ftp/proftpd_133c_backdoor.rb

All References (11)

→
http://www.proftpd.org/Product
→
https://advisories.checkpoint.com/defense/advisories/public/2011/cpai-2010-151.html/Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/proftpd/proftpdProduct
→
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/ftp/proftpd_133c_backdoor.rbExploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://web.archive.org/web/20111107212129/http://rsync.proftpd.org/Release Notes
→
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/15662Exploit · VDB Entry
→
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16921Exploit · VDB Entry
→
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/proftpd-backdoor-command-executionThird Party Advisory
→
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/ftp/proftpd_133c_backdoor.rbExploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/15662Exploit · VDB Entry
→
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16921Exploit · VDB Entry

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2010-20103
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-912
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 20, 2025

Related CVEs (CWE-912)

CVE-2026-3587
10.0
CVE-2021-43987
9.8
CVE-2020-14487
9.8
CVE-2022-3203
9.8
CVE-2021-24867
9.8
CVE-2024-45697
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2010-20103 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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