Description
The wu_fnmatch function in wu_fnmatch.c in wu-ftpd 2.6.1 and 2.6.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU exhaustion by recursion) via a glob pattern with a large number of * (wildcard) characters, as demonstrated using the dir command.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 3.0 | wu-ftpd | 2.6.2-3woody5 | DSA-705-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Exploit-DB 1
- WU-FTPD 2.6.2 - File Globbing Denial of Service EDB-842 · dos · Feb 25, 2005 · verified
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 1
- DSA-705-1 wu-ftpd - missing input sanitising Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- DSA-705 vendor-advisory
- 18210 third-party-advisory
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:1762 vdb-entry signature
- ADV-2006-1271 vdb-entry
- ADV-2005-0588 vdb-entry
- 57795 vendor-advisory
- 14411 third-party-advisory
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:1265 vdb-entry signature
- HPSBUX02110 vendor-advisory
- 101699 vendor-advisory
- 19561 third-party-advisory
- 20050225 WU-FTPD File Globbing Denial of Service Vulnerability third-party-advisory
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:1333 vdb-entry signature
- 14203 vdb-entry