CVE-2023-40048
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 WS_FTP Server version prior to 8.8.2, the WS_FTP Server Manager interface was missing cross-site request forgery (CSRF) protection on a POST transaction corresponding to a WS_FTP Server administrative function.
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 confidenceWS_FTP Server Manager interface lacks CSRF protection on an administrative POST endpoint, allowing attackers to trick authenticated administrators into performing unintended actions via crafted malicious pages or links.
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< 8.8.2CVSS 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
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify WS_FTP Server installationOpen Windows Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl) or check the WS_FTP Server Manager interface to locate the installed version numberAffected if WS_FTP Server is installed with a version lower than 8.8.2
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Check WS_FTP Server version via registryQuery the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Progress\WS_FTP Server for the Version value, or check the About section within the WS_FTP Server Manager interfaceAffected if The registry or interface displays a version number below 8.8.2 (for example 8.8.1, 8.7.x, or earlier)
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Confirm administrative interface accessibilityAccess the WS_FTP Server Manager web interface and verify it is reachable and uses administrative POST endpoints for configuration changesAffected if The administrative interface is accessible and the version is below 8.8.2, indicating CSRF protection is absent on POST requests
Your environment is affected if WS_FTP Server is installed with any version lower than 8.8.2, as the Server Manager interface lacks CSRF protection on administrative POST endpoints in those versions.
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 · scoped8.8.2
Upgrade to WS_FTP Server 8.8.2 or later which includes CSRF protection. As an interim measure, implement SameSite cookie attributes and validate Origin/Referer headers on administrative POST requests.
WS_FTP Server 8.8.2
- Back up the current WS_FTP Server configuration and data
- Download WS_FTP Server version 8.8.2 or later from the official Progress website (www.progress.com)
- Review the upgrade documentation provided by Progress for any pre-upgrade requirements
- Execute the upgrade installer for WS_FTP Server 8.8.2
- After upgrade, verify that the WS_FTP Server Manager interface is accessible and functioning correctly
- Confirm the CSRF protection is now implemented by checking that the administrative POST transactions include anti-CSRF tokens
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,480.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-40048 — 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-2023-40048 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