CVE-2008-2031: VicFTPS NULL pointer dereference via crafted LIST command

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 20 September 2026. Confidence: low.

medium priorityRemote unauthenticated denial of service with a high EPSS score, but impact is limited to availability and the record is third-party sourced with no confirmed patch detail.

What it is

VicFTPS 5.0 crashes on a crafted LIST command due to a NULL pointer dereference, an improper input validation flaw (CWE-20). The record notes the provenance of this information is unknown and details come solely from third-party sources, so the description is thin and no affected version range beyond 5.0 is given.

Impact

An attacker can cause a denial of service by crashing the FTP server, disrupting service for legitimate users. There is no stated impact on confidentiality or integrity.

Attack surface

Reachable over the network via the FTP service (AV:N, AC:L, Au:N); no authentication and no user interaction are required per the CVSS vector, meaning the crafted LIST command can be sent by an unauthenticated remote client.

Exploitation

Not listed in CISA KEV and no ransomware association is documented; EPSS is 0.46309 (98.76th percentile), indicating a high predicted likelihood of exploitation activity, though references carry only Vendor Advisory and untagged links with no public exploit tag.

What to do

• Apply the vendor fix for VicFTPS 5.0 if one is available; check the Secunia vendor advisory for the patched release.
• If no patch exists, restrict FTP access to trusted networks and disable or block anonymous and unauthenticated LIST access.
• Place the FTP service behind a firewall or ACL so only known clients can reach the control and data ports.
• Monitor the vendor advisory and NVD record for updated affected-version and fix information, since the current record is third-party sourced.
• Consider replacing or isolating VicFTPS if it is no longer maintained.

Detection

• Alert on FTP server process crashes or unexpected restarts correlated with LIST commands.
• Log and review LIST commands from unauthenticated or unexpected source IPs for anomalous patterns.
• Monitor for repeated connection attempts followed by server termination on the FTP port.
• Use host-level crash dumps or event logs to confirm NULL pointer dereference faults in the VicFTPS process.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.