ProFTPD mod_sftp Heap Buffer Overflow via Unsigned Integer Underflow and Size Truncation
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-122 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
ProFTPD mod_sftp contains a heap-based buffer overflow reachable by an authenticated SFTP user. The fxp_packet_read() function accepts the attacker-supplied 32-bit big-endian SFTP packet length without a minimum sanity check. A value of 0 causes an unsigned subtraction elsewhere in the read path to underflow to approximately 4 GB. That oversized request reaches the core memory allocator, where the rounded size is computed in size_t but passed to new_block() as a 32-bit int; the low 32 bits of 0x100000000 are 0, so new_block() returns a small (~512-byte) block while the caller is told it received ~4 GB. The subsequent fill loop then streams attacker-controlled bytes past the end of the 544-byte allocation, producing an attacker-controlled heap buffer overflow. An authenticated user can crash the per-connection ProFTPD session child on demand with a single malformed SFTP packet (packet_len=0 followed by a body greater than approximately 544 bytes), producing reliable authenticated remote denial of service. Depending on heap layout and adjacent allocations, heap metadata corruption and further consequences beyond denial of service may be possible, though only denial of service is demonstrated by the supplied proof of concept.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-53994
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-435f-wcrw-9x3x
- 2026-10-09 EPSS moved to the below the 50th percentile
References
Patch 1
Other 1
More ProFTPD Project vulnerabilities
- TI-2006-05599 Stack-based buffer overflow in the sreplace function in ProFTPD 1.3.0 and earlier allows… CVSS 2.0HIGH 10.0
- TI-2010-05061 ProFTPD 1.3.3c Backdoor Command Execution CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2003-00766 ProFTPD 1.2.7 through 1.2.9rc2 does not properly translate newline characters when… CVSS 2.0HIGH 9.0
- TI-2009-00521 SQL injection vulnerability in ProFTPD Server 1.3.1 through 1.3.2rc2 allows remote… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-1999-00861 Buffer overflow in ProFTPD, wu-ftpd, and beroftpd allows remote attackers to gain root… CVSS 2.0HIGH 10.0
- TI-1999-00363 Buffer overflows in wuarchive ftpd (wu-ftpd) and ProFTPD lead to remote root access… CVSS 2.0HIGH 10.0
Sources
- CVE-2026-53994 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-53994 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-435f-wcrw-9x3x · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-53994 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences