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Ws Ftp ServerApplication · Ipswitch

CVE-2019-12144

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-06-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.6.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
An issue was discovered in SSHServerAPI.dll in Progress ipswitch WS_FTP Server 2018 before 8.6.1. Attackers have the ability to abuse a path traversal vulnerability using the SCP protocol. Attackers who leverage this flaw could also obtain remote code execution by crafting a payload that abuses the SITE command feature.

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 confidence

A path traversal vulnerability exists in SSHServerAPI.dll in Progress ipswitch WS_FTP Server 2018 before version 8.6.1. The vulnerability is triggered through the SCP protocol, allowing attackers to manipulate file paths outside the intended directory. Attackers can achieve remote code execution by crafting malicious payloads that abuse the SITE command feature.

MitigationUpgrade WS_FTP Server to version 8.6.1 or later to obtain the security patch. As an interim measure, disable or restrict SCP protocol access if not required, and monitor for suspicious SITE command usage.

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
Ws Ftp ServerApplication
Affected:< 8.6.1

CVSS 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:3.0/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify WS_FTP Server installation and version
    Check the installed version of WS_FTP Server through Windows Programs and Features, or query the SSHServerAPI.dll file properties (right-click > Properties > Details) located in the WS_FTP Server installation directory, commonly in C:\Program Files\Ipswitch\WS_FTP Server\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Ipswitch\WS_FTP Server\
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than 8.6.1 (for example, 8.6.0, 8.5.x, or earlier)
  2. Verify SCP protocol is enabled
    Open WS_FTP Server Administrator, navigate to Server > Connections > SSH2 Settings, and locate the SCP protocol configuration under the protocol settings panel
    Affected if SCP protocol is enabled and allowed for user connections
  3. Confirm SITE command is accessible
    In WS_FTP Server Administrator, go to Server > Commands or Site Commands settings to verify if the SITE command feature is available and not explicitly disabled for SCP connections
    Affected if SITE command feature is enabled and accessible to users connecting via SCP
  4. Review SCP user access controls
    In WS_FTP Server Administrator, check the user or group permissions under Users > [selected user] > Home Directory and verify whether users with SCP access have restrictions limiting them to their designated home directories
    Affected if Users have broad file system access through SCP without directory confinement

Your environment is affected if WS_FTP Server version is earlier than 8.6.1 AND SCP protocol is enabled with SITE command access available to users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.6.1 or later
Fixed in 8.6.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade WS_FTP Server to version 8.6.1 or later to obtain the security patch. As an interim measure, disable or restrict SCP protocol access if not required, and monitor for suspicious SITE command usage.

Recommended fix High confidence

WS_FTP Server 2018 version 8.6.1

  1. 1. Back up the current WS_FTP Server configuration and data
  2. 2. Review the official release notes for WS_FTP Server 8.6.1 to understand changes and requirements
  3. 3. Verify that your current operating environment meets the requirements for version 8.6.1
  4. 4. Download WS_FTP Server version 8.6.1 from the official Progress (Ipswitch) download portal
  5. 5. Stop the WS_FTP Server service before applying the upgrade
  6. 6. Install version 8.6.1 following the vendor's documented upgrade procedure
  7. 7. After installation, verify the server is running and test SCP functionality
  8. 8. Review and validate that the SITE command restrictions are properly configured post-upgrade
Caveat Review release notes for any configuration changes or deprecated features between your current version and 8.6.1

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Ws Ftp Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,760
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-12144 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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