CVE-2012-10030
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 · uneditedFreeFloat FTP Server contains multiple critical design flaws that allow unauthenticated remote attackers to upload arbitrary files to sensitive system directories. The server accepts empty credentials, defaults user access to the root of the C:\ drive, and imposes no restrictions on file type or destination path. These conditions enable attackers to upload executable payloads and .mof files to locations such as system32 and wbem\mof, where Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) automatically processes and executes them. This results in remote code execution with SYSTEM-level privileges, without requiring user interaction.
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 confidenceFreeFloat FTP Server contains critical authentication and access control flaws allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to upload arbitrary files to sensitive system directories. The server accepts empty credentials, exposes the entire C:\ drive to users, and places no restrictions on file types or destination paths. Attackers exploit this by uploading malicious .mof files to WMI directories (system32\wbem\mof), which WMI automatically processes, resulting in unauthenticated SYSTEM-level remote code execution without user interaction.
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= 1.0CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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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Confirm FreeFloat FTP Server is installedOpen Windows Services (services.msc) or check Program Files for 'FreeFloat FTP Server', or look for the process 'FreeFloat.exe' running on the systemAffected if FreeFloat FTP Server version 1.0 is installed and running
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Verify the installed versionRight-click the FreeFloat executable, select Properties, and check the File Version field; or check the 'About' section within the FreeFloat FTP Server interfaceAffected if Version is 1.0 exactly (the only affected version)
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Test for anonymous/empty credential accessConnect to the FTP server using a client (like FileZilla or command-line FTP) with empty username and empty password, or use anonymous/anonymousAffected if Server accepts connection without valid credentials
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Check if C:\ drive is exposedAfter connecting (with any credentials), run FTP command 'ls C:\' or attempt to navigate to the root C:\ directory via the FTP clientAffected if The entire C:\ drive contents are listed or accessible via FTP
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Verify WMI MOF directory is writableUsing an FTP client, attempt to upload a test file to the path 'C:\windows\system32\wbem\mof\' (or similar writable location within system32\wbem\mof)Affected if Files can be uploaded to the WMI mof directory without authentication restrictions
If FreeFloat FTP Server version 1.0 is running and accepts empty credentials, exposes the C:\ drive, or allows file uploads to system32\wbem\mof, the system is affected by this CVE.
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 · scopedReplace FreeFloat FTP Server with a modern, actively maintained FTP server that enforces proper authentication and role-based access controls; if continued use is mandatory, disable anonymous access, restrict users to non-system directories, and implement strict file type restrictions at the application level.
- Discontinue use of Freefloat FTP Server 1.0 immediately as it contains critical, unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerabilities with no available patches or fixes.
- Replace Freefloat FTP Server with a currently-maintained FTP server solution that receives regular security updates.
- If legacy systems require this software and cannot be immediately replaced, isolate the server in a completely isolated network segment with no internet connectivity and strict firewall rules allowing only explicitly necessary access.
- Implement additional network monitoring and intrusion detection around any systems running this software to detect potential exploitation attempts.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-10030 — 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-2012-10030 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data