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Ws Ftp ServerApplication · Ipswitch

CVE-2019-12146

CRITICAL · 9.1 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
A Directory Traversal issue was discovered in SSHServerAPI.dll in Progress ipswitch WS_FTP Server 2018 before 8.6.1. Attackers have the ability to abuse a flaw in the SCP listener by crafting strings using specific patterns to write files and create directories outside of their authorized directory.

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 directory traversal vulnerability exists in SSHServerAPI.dll within the SCP listener of Progress ipswitch WS_FTP Server 2018 versions prior to 8.6.1. Attackers can craft specific string patterns to escape the authorized directory and write files or create directories in unintended locations on the filesystem.

MitigationUpgrade WS_FTP Server to version 8.6.1 or later to obtain the vendor patch that addresses this directory traversal vulnerability in the SCP listener.

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
None

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checks

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

  1. Confirm WS_FTP Server installation
    Check for the presence of WS_FTP Server installation directory, typically at C:\Program Files\Ipswitch\WS_FTP Server or C:\Program Files (x86)\Ipswitch\WS_FTP Server. Use registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Ipswitch\WS_FTP or inspect installed programs list.
    Affected if WS_FTP Server is installed on the system
  2. Identify WS_FTP Server version
    Check the installed version by looking at the file version of the main executable (ws_ftpserver.exe) in the installation directory, or query the Windows Registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Ipswitch\WS_FTP\Server\CurrentVersion for the Version value.
    Affected if The installed version is less than 8.6.1 (versions like 8.6.0, 8.5.x, or earlier)
  3. Locate SSHServerAPI.dll
    Search for SSHServerAPI.dll in the WS_FTP Server installation directory, typically under the \Server\ or \bin\ subfolder. Right-click the file and view Properties > Details to see the file version.
    Affected if The SSHServerAPI.dll file exists and its version corresponds to a WS_FTP Server version prior to 8.6.1
  4. Verify SCP listener is enabled
    Open WS_FTP Server Manager, navigate to Server > Connections > SSH2 (or SCP) settings. Check if the SCP listener service is configured and active. Alternatively, check the configuration file scp.cfg or ssh2.cfg in the config directory.
    Affected if The SCP listener is enabled and running; the vulnerability only affects the SCP listener component

A system is affected if WS_FTP Server versions prior to 8.6.1 are installed with the SCP listener enabled, allowing an attacker to escape the scp user's home directory via directory traversal in the SSHServerAPI.dll component.

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 vendor patch that addresses this directory traversal vulnerability in the SCP listener.

Recommended fix High confidence

WS_FTP Server 8.6.1 or later

  1. 1. Back up the current WS_FTP Server configuration and data
  2. 2. Stop the WS_FTP Server service
  3. 3. Download WS_FTP Server version 8.6.1 or later from the official Progress Ipswitch download portal (docs.ipswitch.com)
  4. 4. Run the installer and select the upgrade option
  5. 5. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation
  6. 6. Verify the installed version is 8.6.1 or higher
  7. 7. Start the WS_FTP Server service
  8. 8. Test the SCP functionality to confirm the path traversal vulnerability is remediated

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

Fix this in Ws Ftp Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
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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-2019-12146 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