HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2020-9273
HIGH

CVE-2020-9273

CWE-416Published: February 20, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

In ProFTPD 1.3.7, it is possible to corrupt the memory pool by interrupting the data transfer channel. This triggers a use-after-free in alloc_pool in pool.c, and possible remote code execution.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2020-9273 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

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 8.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
openSUSE2 product(s)
backports sleleap
proftpd1 product(s)
proftpd
siemens4 product(s)
simatic net cp 1545-1 firmwaresimatic net cp 1545-1simatic net cp 1543-1 firmwaresimatic net cp 1543-1
Source: NVD CPE · 12 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (24)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2020-9273
CVSS Score8.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-416
CISA KEVNo
Affected5 vendor(s)
PublishedFeb 20, 2020

Related CVEs (CWE-416)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2020-9273 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.