GHSA-pmw4-jgxx-pcq9
Fix: autovance/ftp-srv#224GHSA-pmw4-jgxx-pcq9 is a Path Traversal vulnerability in ftp-srv. 3 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-pmw4-jgxx-pcq9 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
File System Bounds Escape
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
ftp-srvnpmDescription
Impact
Clients of FTP servers utilizing ftp-srv hosted on Windows machines can escape the FTP user's defined root folder using the expected FTP commands, for example, CWD and UPDR.
Background
When windows separators exist within the path (\), path.resolve leaves the upper pointers intact and allows the user to move beyond the root folder defined for that user. We did not take that into account when creating the path resolve function.
Patches
None at the moment.
Workarounds
There are no workarounds for windows servers. Hosting the server on a different OS mitigates the issue.
References
Issues: https://github.com/autovance/ftp-srv/issues/167 https://github.com/autovance/ftp-srv/issues/225
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: Open an issue at https://github.com/autovance/ftp-srv. Please email us directly; [email protected].
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | ftp-srv | all versions | 4.4.0 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for ftp-srv. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update ftp-srv to 4.4.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-pmw4-jgxx-pcq9 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-pmw4-jgxx-pcq9 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-pmw4-jgxx-pcq9. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-pmw4-jgxx-pcq9 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-pmw4-jgxx-pcq9 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.