CVE-2019-12143
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 · uneditedA Directory Traversal issue was discovered in SSHServerAPI.dll in Progress ipswitch WS_FTP Server 2018 before 8.6.1. An attacker can supply a string using special patterns via the SCP protocol to disclose WS_FTP usernames as well as filenames.
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 · moderate confidenceDirectory traversal vulnerability in SSHServerAPI.dll in Progress Ipswitch WS_FTP Server 2018 before version 8.6.1 allows unauthenticated attackers to disclose WS_FTP usernames and filenames by sending specially crafted strings through the SCP protocol using special path patterns.
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< 8.6.1CVSS 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
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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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Verify WS_FTP Server is installedLocate WS_FTP Server installation via program files, services list, or product-specific configuration directories. Look for the WS_FTP Server service or associated binaries.Affected if WS_FTP Server 2018 is present on the system
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Check installed WS_FTP Server versionUse the WS_FTP Server management interface, check the About/Help section, or query the installed program version. Compare the version number to the affected range of versions before 8.6.1.Affected if The installed version is earlier than 8.6.1 (for example, 8.5.x, 8.0.x, or any 2018 release below 8.6.1)
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Confirm SSHServerAPI.dll component existsSearch for the file SSHServerAPI.dll within the WS_FTP Server installation directory or subdirectories related to SSH/SCP functionality.Affected if SSHServerAPI.dll is present and corresponds to a version before 8.6.1
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Verify SCP protocol is enabledCheck WS_FTP Server configuration settings or management console for SCP protocol settings. Look for SCP/SSH connection settings or protocolallowlists.Affected if SCP protocol access is enabled or permitted in the WS_FTP Server configuration
The environment is affected if WS_FTP Server 2018 is installed with a version lower than 8.6.1 and SCP protocol is enabled, allowing the vulnerable SSHServerAPI.dll component to accept specially crafted path patterns.
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.
From vendor data8.6.1
Upgrade WS_FTP Server to version 8.6.1 or later to resolve the directory traversal vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict or monitor SCP protocol access as a compensating control.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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-2019-12143 — 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-2019-12143 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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