CVE-2024-46483
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-46483 is an integer overflow vulnerability in Xlight FTP Server's SFTP packet parsing that leads to heap overflow with attacker-controlled content. This allows remote code execution or server crashes. Affects all users running vulnerable Xlight FTP Server versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Xlight FTP Server
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with SYSTEM/root privileges leading to complete server compromise, data theft, and lateral movement.
Likely Case
Server crash causing denial of service and potential data corruption.
If Mitigated
Limited to denial of service if exploit fails or memory protections are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public exploit code available on GitHub. No authentication required to trigger the vulnerability.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.9.4.3
Vendor Advisory: https://www.xlightftpd.com/news.htm
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Xlight FTP Server 3.9.4.3 or later from official website. 2. Stop the Xlight FTP Server service. 3. Install the updated version. 4. Restart the service.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable SFTP Service
windowsTemporarily disable the SFTP server component while maintaining FTP/FTPS services
In Xlight FTP Server GUI: Settings > Server Settings > Uncheck 'Enable SFTP server'
Network Segmentation
windowsRestrict SFTP access to trusted IP addresses only
In Xlight FTP Server GUI: Settings > IP Access Control > Add allowed IP ranges for SFTP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit SFTP exposure to only necessary users
- Monitor for exploitation attempts and have incident response procedures ready
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Xlight FTP Server version in GUI: Help > About. If version is below 3.9.4.3, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
Not applicable - check via GUI onlyVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 3.9.4.3 or higher in Help > About. Test SFTP connectivity remains functional.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple connection attempts with malformed SFTP packets
- Server crash/restart events in Windows Event Log
- Unusual SFTP packet sizes in server logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusually large SFTP packets (exceeding normal protocol limits)
- Multiple rapid SFTP connection attempts from single source
SIEM Query:
source="Xlight*" AND (event_type="crash" OR packet_size>1000000)