# CVE-2020-8634: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Low-privilege users can escalate to root by editing sensitive system files via the HTTP interface due to insecure file permissions.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Mar 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h98j-87f6-38m2

## What is CVE-2020-8634?

CVE-2020-8634 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 6 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Wing FTP Server v6.2.3 for Linux, macOS, and Solaris sets insecure permissions on files modified within the HTTP file management interface, resulting in files being saved with world-readable and world-writable permissions. If a sensitive system file were edited this way, a low-privilege user may escalate privileges to root.

Weakness: CWE-281 (Improper Preservation of Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-8634?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Wftpserver Wing Ftp Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-8634?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-8634 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-8634 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-8634 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2025-47812](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-47812/): Wing FTP Server Improper Neutralization of Null Byte or NUL Character (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-47813](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-47813/): Wing FTP Server Information Disclosure (medium 4.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-44403](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44403/): Wing FTP Server < 8.1.3 Authenticated Remote Code Execution via Session Serialization (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2020-37032](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-37032/): Wing FTP Server 6.3.8 - Remote Code Execution (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2019-25267](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-25267/): Wing FTP Server 6.0.7 - Unquoted Service Path (high 8.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-8634 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-8634 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 6 Mar 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-8634 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8634/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8634/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-8634
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8634
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-8634

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8634/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.