FTP
FTPFTPSFile Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) transfers files between client and server. Anonymous access, clear-text credentials, and directory traversal are common issues.
Ports
| Port | Protocol | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | tcp | FTP control |
| 20 | tcp | FTP data |
| 990 | tcp | FTPS control |
| 989 | tcp | FTPS data |
Fingerprints
| Banner / Probe | Expected Response |
|---|---|
nmap -sV -p <port> <target> | Service banner and version info |
nc -nv <target> <port> | Raw banner grab |
Key Files
| Path | Description |
|---|---|
/etc/passwd | List of system users |
/etc/shadow | Password hashes for local users |
/etc/ssh/sshd_config | SSH server configuration |
~/.ssh/id_rsa | SSH private key |
Default Credentials
| Username | Password | Context |
|---|---|---|
anonymous | anonymous@ | Anonymous FTP access |
ftp | ftp | Common FTP user |
Known CVEs
| Identifier | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
— | Auth | Anonymous access enabled |
Exploitation Primitives
| Technique | Tool / Command | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymous Login | ftp anonymous@<target> | Read anonymous files |
| Brute Force | hydra -L users.txt -P pass.txt ftp://<target> | Crack FTP credentials |
Notes
Anonymous access is still surprisingly common on internal networks and IoT devices.
Check for write access — uploading a web shell or SSH key is often possible.
FTP over TLS (FTPS) is rare; most FTP traffic is cleartext.
Seen on
ShodanCensysFOFAZoomEye
References