CVE-2023-24029
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 · uneditedIn Progress WS_FTP Server before 8.8, it is possible for a host administrator to elevate their privileges via the administrative interface due to insufficient authorization controls applied on user modification workflows.
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 confidenceProgress WS_FTP Server versions before 8.8 contain an authorization flaw in the administrative interface where host administrators can elevate their privileges via user modification workflows due to insufficient authorization controls. An attacker with host administrator access can exploit the user modification functionality to gain higher-level privileges that should be restricted.
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< 8.8CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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 WS_FTP Server versionLocate the installed version of WS_FTP Server in the product documentation, registry, or the administrative interface about section. Compare this version number to the affected range (versions before 8.8).Affected if The installed version is 8.7 or earlier, or any version number lower than 8.8.
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Confirm administrative interface accessDetermine if the WS_FTP Server administrative interface (SSH or web-based) is enabled and reachable on the network. Check network exposure and access controls.Affected if The administrative interface is accessible from the network where untrusted users could potentially obtain host administrator credentials.
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Review host administrator accountsList all host administrator accounts configured in WS_FTP Server. Verify the count and ownership of accounts with host administrative privileges.Affected if There are host administrator accounts present, as the vulnerability allows privilege escalation from host admin to higher privileges.
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Audit user modification operationsReview audit logs or history for user modification actions performed by host administrators. Look for any changes to account privileges, role assignments, or creation of accounts with elevated permissions.Affected if Host administrators have performed user modification operations that resulted in privilege escalation beyond host administrator level.
You are affected if WS_FTP Server version is below 8.8 and host administrators have access to the administrative interface where they can modify user 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.
dbcve · scoped8.8
Upgrade WS_FTP Server to version 8.8 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, implement compensating controls such as restricting administrative access to dedicated secure networks, enabling detailed audit logging on administrative actions, and reviewing administrative user accounts for unauthorized privilege changes.
WS_FTP Server 8.8 or later
- Back up the current WS_FTP Server configuration and data
- Download WS_FTP Server version 8.8 or later from the Progress website
- Install the upgrade following standard upgrade procedures
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the server version
- Log in to the administrative interface and confirm the authorization controls are functioning correctly
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-24029 — 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-2023-24029 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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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.
- 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