# CVE-2023-53886: Xlight FTP Server 3.9.3.6 Stack Buffer Overflow Vulnerability via Execute Program

> Attackers can cause a denial of service in Xlight FTP Server by triggering a stack buffer overflow in the Execute Program configuration.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.1 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 12 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hxpr-5v98-mw59

## What is CVE-2023-53886?

CVE-2023-53886 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Xlightftpd Xlight FTP Server, published on 15 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Xlight FTP Server 3.9.3.6 contains a stack buffer overflow vulnerability in the 'Execute Program' configuration that allows attackers to crash the application. Attackers can trigger the vulnerability by inserting 294 characters into the program execution configuration, causing a denial of service condition.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53886?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Xlightftpd Xlight Ftp Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53886?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-53886 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-53886 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-53886 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Xlightftpd Xlight FTP Server

- [CVE-2019-25681](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-25681/): Xlight FTP Server 3.9.1 SEH Overwrite Buffer Overflow (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2009-4795](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4795/): SQL injection in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2010-2695](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-2695/): Path traversal in n/a (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2024-0737](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-0737/): Xlightftpd Xlight FTP Server Login denial of service (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-53886 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53886 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Xlightftpd Xlight FTP Server, published on 15 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-53886 exists.

Affected product: Xlightftpd Xlight 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-2023-53886/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53886/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53886
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53886
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53886

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53886/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.