Error message "500 OOPS: vsftpd: refusing to run with writable root inside chroot()"

Question

I want to setup an anonymous only FTP server (able to upload files). Here is my configuration file:

listen=YES

anonymous_enable=YES
anon_root=/var/www/ftp

local_enable=YES
write_enable=YESr.

anon_upload_enable=YES
anon_mkdir_write_enable=YES

xferlog_enable=YES
connect_from_port_20=YES

chroot_local_user=YES

dirmessage_enable=YES
use_localtime=YES
secure_chroot_dir=/var/run/vsftpd/empty
rsa_cert_file=/etc/ssl/private/vsftpd.pem
pam_service_name=vsftpd

But when I try to connect it:

kan@kan:~$ ftp yxxxng.bej
Connected to yxxx.
220 (vsFTPd 2.3.5)
Name (yxxxg.bej:kan): anonymous
331 Please specify the password.
Password:
500 OOPS: vsftpd: refusing to run with writable root inside chroot()
Login failed

How can I fix this?

Answer 1

This blog here points out how to fix this problem.

http://www.mikestechblog.com/joomla/operating-systems-section/operating-systems-ubuntu/155-500-oops-vsftpd-refusing-to-run-with-writable-root-inside-chroot.html

The issue being that the user's root directory is writable. The Frontier Group provides you with a fix on vsFTPd.

Here are the steps to be taken (copy paste from the tutorial, in case the link dies)

1. login as root (or sudo..) and do the following:

2. vi /etc/vsftpd.conf and add the following allow_writeable_chroot=YES

3. sudo service vsftpd restart