CVE-2008-1268
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe FTP server on the Linksys WRT54G 7 router with 7.00.1 firmware does not verify authentication credentials, which allows remote attackers to establish an FTP session by sending an arbitrary username and password.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe FTP server on the Linksys WRT54G 7 router with firmware 7.00.1 contains a critical authentication bypass vulnerability where the server does not verify any credentials, allowing remote attackers to establish FTP sessions using arbitrary username and password combinations.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 7CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify router modelLog into the router web interface or check the physical device label to confirm the model is Linksys WRT54GAffected if The device is not a WRT54G model - different models are not affected by this specific CVE
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Check firmware versionAccess the router administration panel (typically at 192.168.1.1) and navigate to the Status or Administration page to view the firmware version. Alternatively, check the version displayed on the device label or in downloaded firmware filesAffected if Firmware version is not 7.x (specifically 7.00.1) - versions other than 7 are not affected
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Verify FTP server is enabledIn the router web interface, look for FTP server settings under Applications & Gaming, Port Forwarding, or Storage/USB settings. Confirm the FTP server feature is turned onAffected if FTP server is disabled - the vulnerability only applies when FTP is enabled
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Test authentication bypassAttempt to connect to the router's FTP port (typically port 21) from a networked device using any username and password (e.g., anonymous/anonymous or random/random). Use an FTP client or command line: ftp <router_ip>Affected if The FTP connection succeeds with invalid or non-existent credentials - successful authentication with any input confirms the vulnerability is present
The device is affected only if it is a Linksys WRT54G router running firmware version 7 with the FTP server enabled, and the FTP service accepts connections with arbitrary username and password combinations.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpdate the router firmware to the latest version from Linksys, or disable the FTP server if not required, and restrict network access to the FTP port via firewall rules.
- 1. Disable the FTP server on the WRT54G router through the web administration interface under 'Administration' > 'Management' or 'Applications & Gaming' > 'FTP Server'
- 2. If FTP access is required, consider using a more secure alternative such as SFTP or SCP
- 3. If the device cannot be secured through configuration, replace the router with a newer model that receives firmware security updates
- 4. As an alternative to stock firmware, consider flashing third-party firmware such as DD-WRT, OpenWrt, or Tomato (note: this voids warranty and carries its own risks)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-1268 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-1268 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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