How severe is CVE-2010-20103?

CVE-2010-20103 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2010-20103 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (92nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2010-20103?

CVE-2010-20103 affects Proftpd. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2010-20103?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

Does CVE-2010-20103 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2010-20103 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2010-5301.

When was CVE-2010-20103 published?

CVE-2010-20103 was published on 2025-08-20 and last updated on 2026-07-15.

CVE-2010-20103

CVE-2010-20103 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Proftpd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-912.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v4: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (92nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2010-5301
Weakness: CWE-912
Affected product: Proftpd
Published: 2025-08-20
Last modified: 2026-07-15

Description

A malicious backdoor was embedded in the official ProFTPD 1.3.3c source tarball distributed between November 28 and December 2, 2010. The backdoor implements a hidden FTP command trigger that, when invoked, causes the server to execute arbitrary shell commands with root privileges. This allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to run any OS command on the FTP server host.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2010-20103?: A malicious backdoor was embedded in the official ProFTPD 1.3.3c source tarball distributed between November 28 and December 2, 2010. The backdoor implements a hidden FTP command trigger that, when invoked, causes the server to execute arbitrary shell commands with root privileges. This allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to run any OS command on the FTP server host.
How severe is CVE-2010-20103?: CVE-2010-20103 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2010-20103 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (92nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2010-20103?: CVE-2010-20103 affects Proftpd. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2010-20103?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2010-20103 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2010-20103 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2010-5301.
When was CVE-2010-20103 published?: CVE-2010-20103 was published on 2025-08-20 and last updated on 2026-07-15.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:proftpd:proftpd:1.3.3:c:*:*:*:*:*:*

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