vsftpd-server

vsftpd (Very Secure FTP Daemon) is an FTP server for hosting file transfers over the network, typically on Linux systems. It supports user authentication, chroot/jails, and common FTP features, with optional TLS/SSL for FTPS.

Evaluated Apr 04, 2026 (17d ago)
Homepage ↗ Repo ↗ Infrastructure ftp ftps server self-hosted linux file-transfer authentication tls
⚙ Agent Friendliness
16
/ 100
Can an agent use this?
🔒 Security
53
/ 100
Is it safe for agents?
⚡ Reliability
35
/ 100
Does it work consistently?

Score Breakdown

⚙ Agent Friendliness

MCP Quality
0
Documentation
0
Error Messages
0
Auth Simplicity
35
Rate Limits
0

🔒 Security

TLS Enforcement
55
Auth Strength
65
Scope Granularity
30
Dep. Hygiene
50
Secret Handling
60

vsftpd can provide TLS via FTPS, but security is highly dependent on correct configuration (enable TLS, disable weak modes, restrict users/directories, use chroot where appropriate). FTP user credentials are sent over the protocol unless protected by TLS. Fine-grained authorization/scopes are typically filesystem- and config-driven rather than token-based. As a widely used daemon, it has a security track record, but the actual dependency/vulnerability hygiene cannot be verified from the provided data.

⚡ Reliability

Uptime/SLA
0
Version Stability
60
Breaking Changes
50
Error Recovery
30
AF Security Reliability

Best When

You control the network environment (firewalls/VPN), need FTP/FTPS compatibility, and will harden vsftpd (TLS enabled, least-privilege users, restricted filesystem access).

Avoid When

You need robust security guarantees for untrusted internet clients or you can use SFTP/HTTPS with better operational and security properties.

Use Cases

  • Self-hosted FTP/FTPS file transfer for legacy clients
  • Inbound/outbound file drop for internal teams or automations
  • Serving public or semi-public directories with controlled access
  • Migration/compatibility for systems that still require FTP

Not For

  • Internet-facing FTP without strong TLS and hardened configuration
  • Modern application-to-application file transfer that can use SFTP/HTTPS instead
  • Use cases requiring fine-grained API-level access controls and audit-friendly webhooks

Interface

REST API
No
GraphQL
No
gRPC
No
MCP Server
No
SDK
No
Webhooks
No

Authentication

Methods: FTP username/password (traditional FTP auth) FTPS with TLS (implicit/explicit modes depending on config) System users / PAM (depending on configuration) Anonymous FTP (if enabled; discouraged for security-sensitive deployments)
OAuth: No Scopes: No

Authentication is configuration-driven (system/PAM/virtual users), not API-token based. Authorization/scoping is typically handled via filesystem permissions and vsftpd configuration rather than OAuth-like scopes.

Pricing

Free tier: No
Requires CC: No

Open-source software; operational costs come from hosting and security hardening.

Agent Metadata

Pagination
none
Idempotent
False
Retry Guidance
Not documented

Known Gotchas

  • No programmatic API surface for AI agents; interaction is via network protocols (FTP/FTPS).
  • FTP semantics are not REST/HTTP-like; retries and idempotency depend on transfer commands and server settings.
  • Security posture depends heavily on configuration (TLS, chroot/jails, allowed users, passive mode firewall rules).

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Scores are editorial opinions as of 2026-04-04.

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