CVE-2009-5141: Format string vulnerability in War FTP Daemon (warftpd) 1.82 RC 12 allows remote authenticated users to cause

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MEDIUM 4.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2009-5141 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 4.0) affecting warftpd. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Format string vulnerability in War FTP Daemon (warftpd) 1.82 RC 12 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (crash) via format string specifiers in a LIST command.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	4.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	2.7% (top 14%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-134
Published	2014-04-01
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: jgaa

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2014-04-01 03:24 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 23:15 UTCUpdated Record last modified

jgaa warftpd DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.8.2 rc12

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.8.2

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.8.2 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison warftpd sudo apt install warftpd=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.8.2> sudo apt-mark hold warftpd

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

dnf --showduplicates list warftpd sudo dnf downgrade warftpd-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.8.2> sudo dnf versionlock add warftpd

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: WarFTPd 1.82.00-RC12 - 'LIST' Format String Denial of Service

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-2009-5141?

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

Is CVE-2009-5141 being exploited?

CVE-2009-5141 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-2009-5141 affect?

CVE-2009-5141 affects warftpd. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.0). Format string vulnerability in War FTP Daemon (warftpd) 1.82 RC 12 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (crash) via format string specifiers in a LIST command.

How urgent is CVE-2009-5141?

Priority 40/100. Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2013-2278 HIGH 10.0 DOWNGRADE Unspecified vulnerability in War FTP Daemon (warftpd) 1.82, when running as a Windows service, allows remote a

References

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