CVE-2023-40044 Progress WS_FTP Server: unsafe data loading
In plain words: The program unpacks saved data from outside without checking it is safe. Usually lets an attacker run code on the server.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Oct 26, 2023
What to do
- Install Progress's security update for WS_FTP Server. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- Progress WS_FTP Server Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability
- Product
- Progress WS_FTP Server
- CISA description
- Progress WS_FTP Server contains a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability in the Ad Hoc Transfer module that allows an authenticated attacker to execute remote commands on the underlying operating system.
- Type of flaw
- Unsafe data loading (CWE-502)
- Confirmed exploited
- Oct 5, 2023 — known to be used in ransomware attacks
- US federal patch deadline
- Oct 26, 2023
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Answering about CVE-2023-40044 ·
Questions about CVE-2023-40044
Is CVE-2023-40044 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2023-40044 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Oct 5, 2023, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks, including by ransomware groups.
How do I fix CVE-2023-40044?
Install Progress's security update for WS_FTP Server. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2023-40044?
Only if you use Progress WS_FTP Server. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.