CVE-2018-25252 Overview
CVE-2018-25252 is a denial of service vulnerability affecting FTP Voyager 16.2.0, a popular FTP client application. The vulnerability allows local attackers to crash the application by injecting oversized buffer data into the site profile IP field. By creating a malicious site profile containing 500 bytes of repeated characters and pasting it into the IP field, an attacker can trigger an out-of-bounds write condition that crashes the FTP Voyager process.
Critical Impact
Local attackers can cause application crashes through buffer overflow in the site profile IP field, resulting in denial of service and potential loss of unsaved work or interrupted file transfers.
Affected Products
- FTP Voyager 16.2.0
- FTP Voyager (earlier versions may also be affected)
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-04-04 - CVE CVE-2018-25252 published to NVD
- 2026-04-07 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2018-25252
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified as CWE-787 (Out-of-Bounds Write), indicating that the application writes data past the end of allocated memory buffers. The flaw exists in the site profile management functionality of FTP Voyager, specifically in how the application handles user input in the IP address field.
When a user creates or modifies a site profile, the IP address field is expected to contain a standard IPv4 or IPv6 address. However, the application fails to properly validate the length of input data before copying it into a fixed-size buffer. This lack of boundary checking allows an attacker to supply an excessively long string that overflows the allocated buffer space.
The attack requires local access to the system where FTP Voyager is installed. An attacker with user-level privileges can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating site profile configurations, either through direct input or by importing a maliciously crafted profile.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and improper bounds checking in the site profile IP field handling code. The application allocates a fixed-size buffer for storing IP address data but does not enforce length restrictions on user input before copying data into this buffer. When 500 or more bytes of data are provided, the write operation exceeds the buffer boundary, corrupting adjacent memory and causing the application to crash.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to have access to the system where FTP Voyager is installed. The exploitation process involves creating a site profile with an oversized IP field value. The attacker crafts a string of approximately 500 bytes or more of repeated characters and pastes this data into the IP address field when creating or editing a site profile. Upon processing this malformed input, the application attempts to write the oversized data to a fixed buffer, triggering an out-of-bounds write that results in process termination.
The vulnerability does not require any special privileges beyond basic user access to run FTP Voyager. No user interaction beyond the attacker's own actions is required, and the attack complexity is low since no authentication bypass or privilege escalation is needed.
Detection Methods for CVE-2018-25252
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected FTP Voyager process crashes or terminations
- Windows Event Viewer entries showing FTP Voyager application errors with memory access violations
- Presence of unusually large or malformed site profile configuration files
- Error logs indicating buffer overflow or memory corruption in FTP Voyager
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Windows Application Event Logs for FTP Voyager crash events with exception codes related to memory access violations
- Implement endpoint detection rules to alert on repeated FTP Voyager process crashes within a short time period
- Deploy SentinelOne Singularity endpoint protection to detect and prevent buffer overflow exploitation attempts
- Audit site profile configuration files for unusually long IP address values
Monitoring Recommendations
- Configure alerting for FTP Voyager application crashes in centralized logging systems
- Monitor process behavior for abnormal memory allocation patterns in FTP client applications
- Implement file integrity monitoring on FTP Voyager configuration directories
- Use SentinelOne's behavioral AI engine to detect exploitation attempts before they cause damage
How to Mitigate CVE-2018-25252
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict access to systems running FTP Voyager 16.2.0 to trusted users only
- Consider replacing FTP Voyager with alternative FTP clients that have been actively maintained
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized modification of FTP Voyager configurations
- Deploy endpoint protection solutions such as SentinelOne to detect and block exploitation attempts
Patch Information
No official vendor patch has been identified in the available CVE data. FTP Voyager users should check the FTP Voyager Official Site for any security updates or newer versions that may address this vulnerability. Additionally, review the VulnCheck Advisory on FTP Voyager for detailed remediation guidance.
Technical details about the exploitation method can be found at Exploit-DB #45527.
Workarounds
- Limit local user access to systems running vulnerable FTP Voyager installations
- Implement strict input validation at the operating system or application layer using third-party security tools
- Consider migrating to actively maintained FTP client software with better security practices
- Back up FTP Voyager configurations regularly to minimize impact from potential denial of service attacks
- Use SentinelOne Singularity platform for real-time protection against buffer overflow exploits
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
