CVE-2020-11708
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered in ProVide (formerly zFTPServer) through 13.1. Privilege escalation can occur via the /ajax/SetUserInfo messages parameter because of the EXECUTE() feature, which is for executing programs when certain events are triggered.
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 confidenceProVide (formerly zFTPServer) through version 13.1 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in the /ajax/SetUserInfo endpoint. The messages parameter allows exploitation of the EXECUTE() feature, which is designed to execute programs when certain events trigger, enabling an attacker to escalate privileges by crafting malicious messages that trigger arbitrary program execution.
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<= 13.1CVSS 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
- 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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Identify ProVide versionCheck the installed version of ProVide (formerly zFTPServer). This is typically visible in the application UI or in the program's About/Properties section.Affected if The installed version is 13.1 or any version prior to 13.1.
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Verify EXECUTE() feature statusLocate the event configuration or trigger settings within ProVide's administrative interface. Look for the EXECUTE() feature which is designed to execute programs when certain events trigger.Affected if The EXECUTE() feature is enabled or configured for any event triggers.
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Confirm endpoint accessibilityCheck if the /ajax/SetUserInfo endpoint is accessible to users. This typically requires examining the web server configuration or access controls within ProVide.Affected if The /ajax/SetUserInfo endpoint is exposed and accessible to non-administrative users.
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Assess user privilege configurationReview user account configurations in ProVide to determine if standard users can access the SetUserInfo functionality.Affected if Standard or low-privilege users have access to the SetUserInfo endpoint that accepts the messages parameter.
A user is affected if running ProVide version 13.1 or earlier AND the EXECUTE() feature is enabled while the /ajax/SetUserInfo endpoint is accessible to users with limited privileges.
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 dataUpgrade to a patched version of ProVide. If unavailable, disable or restrict the EXECUTE() feature and limit access to the /ajax/SetUserInfo endpoint until a patch is available.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-11708 — 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-2020-11708 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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