CVE-2019-16864: 
EnterpriseDT Complete FTP vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CompleteFTP server versions prior to 12.1.4 contain a Remote Code Execution vulnerability (CVE-2019-16864) that allows authenticated users with Windows local or domain accounts to execute commands with SYSTEM privileges. The vulnerability was discovered in 2019 and affects the SSH functionality of the server, specifically the 'exec' command which executes with elevated privileges regardless of the user's permission level (Rhino Labs, NVD).

The vulnerability exists in the SSH implementation of CompleteFTP where the 'exec' command is always executed with SYSTEM privileges, regardless of the authenticated user's permission level. This means any user with SSH access can execute arbitrary commands with the highest system privileges. The issue was addressed in version 12.1.4 by restricting the 'exec' command to Windows Administrator accounts only (CompleteFTP History).

The vulnerability allows any authenticated user with SSH access to execute commands with SYSTEM privileges, effectively giving them complete control over the affected system. This represents a critical security risk as it enables privilege escalation and unauthorized system access, potentially leading to complete system compromise (Rhino Labs).

The vulnerability was patched in CompleteFTP version 12.1.4, which restricts the 'exec' command to Windows Administrator accounts only. Organizations using affected versions should upgrade to version 12.1.4 or later to address this security issue. If immediate upgrading is not possible, it is recommended to restrict SSH access to only trusted administrator accounts (CompleteFTP History).