CVE-2008-4572: GuildFTPd 0.999.14, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash)

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HIGH 10.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2008-4572 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 10.0) affecting guildftpd. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

GuildFTPd 0.999.14, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via long arguments to the CWD and LIST commands, which triggers heap corruption related to an improper free call, and possibly triggering a heap-based buffer overflow.

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 1%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	10.0 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	60.7% (top 1%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-119
Published	2008-10-15
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: guildftpd

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2008-10-15 20:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:58 UTCUpdated Record last modified

guildftpd guildftpd DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.999.14

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.999.14

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy guildftpd || rpm -q guildftpd || guildftpd --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.999.14 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison guildftpd sudo apt install guildftpd=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.999.14> sudo apt-mark hold guildftpd

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list guildftpd sudo dnf downgrade guildftpd-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.999.14> sudo dnf versionlock add guildftpd

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: GuildFTPd 0.999.8.11/0.999.14 - Heap Corruption (PoC) / Denial of Service
Metasploit: Guild FTPd 0.999.8.11/0.999.14 Heap Corruption

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2008-4572?

guildftpd: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2008-4572 being exploited?

CVE-2008-4572 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2008-4572 affect?

CVE-2008-4572 affects guildftpd. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). GuildFTPd 0.999.14, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via long arguments to the CWD and LIST commands, which triggers heap corruption related to an

How urgent is CVE-2008-4572?

Priority 65/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 1%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2006-5133 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE Buffer overflow in GuildFTPd 0.999.13 allows remote attackers to have an unknown impact, possibly code executi
CVE-2003-1267 MEDIUM 5.0 DOWNGRADE GuildFTPd 0.999 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a GET request for MS-DOS devi
CVE-2001-0770 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE Buffer overflow in GuildFTPd Server 0.97 allows remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via a long SITE comm
CVE-2001-0769 MEDIUM 5.0 DOWNGRADE Memory leak in GuildFTPd Server 0.97 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a request contai
CVE-2001-0768 MEDIUM 4.6 DOWNGRADE GuildFTPd 0.9.7 stores user names and passwords in plaintext in the default.usr file, which allows local users

References

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