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Ws Ftp ServerApplication · Progress

CVE-2023-40045

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.7.4 / 8.8.2 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
In WS_FTP Server versions prior to 8.7.4 and 8.8.2, a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in WS_FTP Server's Ad Hoc Transfer module.  An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to target WS_FTP Server users with a specialized payload which results in the execution of malicious JavaScript within the context of the victims browser.

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 reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in the Ad Hoc Transfer module of WS_FTP Server versions prior to 8.7.4 and 8.8.2. The vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript through specially crafted payloads that are reflected back to users in the Ad Hoc Transfer interface.

MitigationUpgrade WS_FTP Server to version 8.7.4 or 8.8.2 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Until then, disable or restrict access to the Ad Hoc Transfer module as a compensating control.

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:< 8.7.4>= 8.8, < 8.8.2

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
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/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. Identify installed WS_FTP Server version
    Open WS_FTP Server Manager or check the program version information (Help > About or similar) to confirm the exact installed version number
    Affected if The version is less than 8.7.4 OR is 8.8.0 or 8.8.1 (the 8.8.x branch before 8.8.2)
  2. Locate Ad Hoc Transfer module status
    Navigate to WS_FTP Server administrative interface and check the modules or components list to see if Ad Hoc Transfer is listed as installed or enabled
    Affected if Ad Hoc Transfer module is present and enabled in the installation
  3. Confirm Ad Hoc Transfer web interface accessibility
    Attempt to access the Ad Hoc Transfer web interface URL (typically at /adhoc31/ or similar path under the WS_FTP web server) using a browser or check IIS/httpd configuration for related virtual directories
    Affected if The Ad Hoc Transfer web interface is accessible and responding
  4. Review access logs for XSS probe patterns
    Examine WS_FTP Server web server logs (IIS or built-in) for requests to the Ad Hoc Transfer endpoint containing suspicious patterns such as <script>, javascript:, or onload= attributes in URL parameters
    Affected if Malicious XSS payload patterns are found in recent web logs for the Ad Hoc Transfer interface

You are affected if WS_FTP Server version falls below 8.7.4 or within 8.8.0-8.8.1 AND the Ad Hoc Transfer module is enabled and accessible 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 8.7.4 / 8.8.2 or later
Fixed in 8.7.48.8.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade WS_FTP Server to version 8.7.4 or 8.8.2 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Until then, disable or restrict access to the Ad Hoc Transfer module as a compensating control.

Recommended fix High confidence

8.8.2 (recommended) or 8.7.4

  1. Identify current WS_FTP Server version through the administration console or system information
  2. Download WS_FTP Server version 8.8.2 (or 8.7.4) from the Progress official website or customer portal
  3. Review Progress upgrade documentation and perform a backup of current configuration
  4. Execute the upgrade installer following standard upgrade procedures
  5. Verify the new version is installed and confirm the Ad Hoc Transfer module functions correctly
Caveat Standard security patch upgrade with minimal risk; always backup configuration before upgrading

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

Fix this in Ws Ftp Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

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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-2023-40045 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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