CVE-2010-4221
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in the pr_netio_telnet_gets function in netio.c in ProFTPD before 1.3.3c allow remote attackers to…
- 10.0HighCVSS base score
- 91.3%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 0.2% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- 5Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in the pr_netio_telnet_gets function in netio.c in ProFTPD before 1.3.3c allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors involving a TELNET IAC escape character to a (1) FTP or (2) FTPS server.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list 2 Metasploit modules and 3 Exploit-DB entries for it.
Show the exploits5
Metasploit modules2 modules
- ProFTPD 1.3.2rc3 - 1.3.3b Telnet IAC Buffer Overflow (FreeBSD) (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
exploit/freebsd/ftp/proftp_telnet_iacRank greatdisclosed 1 Nov 2010
- ProFTPD 1.3.2rc3 - 1.3.3b Telnet IAC Buffer Overflow (Linux) (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
exploit/linux/ftp/proftp_telnet_iacRank greatdisclosed 1 Nov 2010
Exploit-DB3 entries
- ProFTPd 1.3.2 rc3 < 1.3.3b (Linux) - Telnet IAC Buffer Overflow (Metasploit) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 16851remote, linuxpublished 9 Jan 2011Verified
- ProFTPd 1.3.2 rc3 < 1.3.3b (FreeBSD) - Telnet IAC Buffer Overflow (Metasploit) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 16878remote, linuxpublished 2 Dec 2010Verified
- ProFTPd IAC 1.3.x - Remote Command Execution (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 15449remote, linuxpublished 7 Nov 2010Verified
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By mitre
Published
- 14 years later
· 14 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 2.0 | High10.0 | AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 91.3% · top 0.2% of all CVEs (11 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 10.0.
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
References
References13
- http://www.proftpd.org/docs/NEWS-1.3.3c (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- FEDORA-2010-17091 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_FEDORAx_transferred
- http://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-10-229/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 42217 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- FEDORA-2010-17098 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_FEDORAx_transferred
- FEDORA-2010-17220 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_FEDORAx_transferred
- ADV-2010-2941 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
- ADV-2010-2962 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
- 42052 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
- http://bugs.proftpd.org/show_bug.cgi?id=3521 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- MDVSA-2010:227 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_MANDRIVAx_transferred
- 44562 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- ADV-2010-2959 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2010-4195 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2010-4221)Record last updated .