# Exploitation

> FTP exploitation via backdoors, brute-force, shells, and bounce attacks

- **URL:** https://hackindex.io/services/ftp/exploitation
- **Service:** [FTP](https://hackindex.io/services/ftp.md)
- **Tags:** initial-access, execution
- **Published:** 2025-12-29
- **Updated:** 2026-03-29

FTP exploitation takes the findings from enumeration and turns them into access. Anonymous write permissions let you upload web shells or overwrite configuration files. Known CVEs in ProFTPD, vsftpd, and other implementations provide direct code execution paths.

Credential brute-forcing against FTP is effective when lockout policies are absent, which is common. Backdoor detection covers trojanized builds like the vsftpd 2.3.4 backdoor that still shows up on legacy systems.

Techniques below cover anonymous upload abuse, version-specific exploits, and credential attacks.

## Guides

- [FTP Anonymous Login Exploitation](https://hackindex.io/services/ftp/exploitation/ftp-anonymous-login.md): Exploit anonymous FTP login to gain unauthorised access, enumerate files, and extract sensitive data using tools like ftp, Nmap, and Metasploit.
- [FTP Authentication Attacks](https://hackindex.io/services/ftp/exploitation/ftp-authentication-attacks.md): Exploiting FTP authentication weaknesses via brute force, credential stuffing, and anonymous login abuse to gain unauthorised access to FTP services.
- [FTP Bounce Attack Exploitation](https://hackindex.io/services/ftp/exploitation/ftp-bounce-attack.md): Exploit FTP PORT command misuse to proxy scans and connections through misconfigured FTP servers, bypassing firewalls and obscuring attack origin.
- [FTP Credential Exploitation](https://hackindex.io/services/ftp/exploitation/ftp-credential-exploitation.md): Exploit FTP authentication weaknesses using anonymous access, brute-force attacks, and credential stuffing to gain unauthorised access to FTP servers.
- [FTP Web Shell Upload](https://hackindex.io/services/ftp/exploitation/ftp-web-shell-upload.md): Upload web shells via FTP to gain remote code execution. Covers anonymous/authenticated access, shell deployment, and triggering execution through a web server.
- [ProFTPD 1.3.3c Backdoor](https://hackindex.io/services/ftp/exploitation/proftpd-133c.md): Exploit the ProFTPD 1.3.3c backdoor (CVE-2010-4221) introduced via a compromised source tarball, granting unauthenticated remote root shell access.
- [vsftpd 2.3.4 Backdoor](https://hackindex.io/services/ftp/exploitation/vsftpd-234.md): Exploit the infamous vsftpd 2.3.4 backdoor vulnerability, triggering a root shell via malicious smiley-face username on port 6200.