# CVE-2023-42657: WS_FTP Server Directory Traversal

> Attackers can perform file operations outside authorized directories and escape the server context to modify or delete files on the underlying operating system.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 24 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vrp3-qmw4-rx8c

## What is CVE-2023-42657?

CVE-2023-42657 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in Progress Software Corporation WS_FTP Server, published on 27 Sep 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In WS_FTP Server versions prior to 8.7.4 and 8.8.2, a directory traversal vulnerability was discovered.  An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to perform file operations (delete, rename, rmdir, mkdir) on files and folders outside of their authorized WS_FTP folder path.  Attackers could also escape the context of the WS_FTP Server file structure and perform the same level of operations (delete, rename, rmdir, mkdir) on file and folder locations on the underlying operating system.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-42657?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Progress Ws Ftp Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-42657?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-42657 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-42657 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-42657 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Progress Software Corporation WS_FTP Server

- [CVE-2023-40044](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40044/): Progress WS_FTP Server Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-42659](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42659/): WS_FTP Server Arbitrary File Upload (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2008-0590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-0590/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2023-40045](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40045/): WS_FTP Server Ad Hoc Transfer Module Reflected Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability (high 8.3)
- [CVE-2023-40047](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40047/): WS_FTP Server Stored Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability (high 8.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-42657 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-42657 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in Progress Software Corporation WS_FTP Server, published on 27 Sep 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-42657 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Progress Software Corporation WS_FTP Server. 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-2023-42657/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42657/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-42657
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-42657
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-42657

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-42657/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.