"Uncaught TypeError: ftp_nlist(): Argument #1 ($ftp) must be of type FTP\Connection, null given" when run with --allow-root

[FabioPedretti]

Bug Report

• Yes, I reviewed the contribution guidelines.
• Yes, more specifically, I reviewed the guidelines on how to write clear bug reports.

Describe the current, buggy behavior

On some wordpress installation when using wp theme list --allow-root or wp plugin list --allow-root with root I get this error:

# wp theme list --allow-root
PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught TypeError: ftp_nlist(): Argument #1 ($ftp) must be of type FTP\Connection, null given in /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php:438
Stack trace:
#0 /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php(438): ftp_nlist()
#1 /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-base.php(231): WP_Filesystem_FTPext->exists()
#2 /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-base.php(58): WP_Filesystem_Base->find_folder()
#3 /srv/www/wp-content/themes/evolve/inc/admin/customizer/customizer.php(1193): WP_Filesystem_Base->abspath()
#4 /srv/www/wp-content/themes/evolve/inc/admin/customizer/customizer.php(1149): evolve_get_controls_from_json()
#5 /srv/www/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(341): evolve_load_the_theme_options()
#6 /srv/www/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(365): WP_Hook->apply_filters()
#7 /srv/www/wp-includes/plugin.php(522): WP_Hook->do_action()
#8 /srv/www/wp-settings.php(742): do_action()
#9 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/WP_CLI/Runner.php(1374): require('...')
#10 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/WP_CLI/Runner.php(1293): WP_CLI\Runner->load_wordpress()
#11 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/WP_CLI/Bootstrap/LaunchRunner.php(28): WP_CLI\Runner->start()
#12 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/bootstrap.php(84): WP_CLI\Bootstrap\LaunchRunner->process()
#13 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/wp-cli.php(35): WP_CLI\bootstrap()
#14 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/php/boot-phar.php(20): include('...')
#15 /usr/local/bin/wp(4): include('...')
#16 {main}
  thrown in /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php on line 438
Fatal error: Uncaught TypeError: ftp_nlist(): Argument #1 ($ftp) must be of type FTP\Connection, null given in /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php:438
Stack trace:
#0 /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php(438): ftp_nlist()
#1 /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-base.php(231): WP_Filesystem_FTPext->exists()
#2 /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-base.php(58): WP_Filesystem_Base->find_folder()
#3 /srv/www/wp-content/themes/evolve/inc/admin/customizer/customizer.php(1193): WP_Filesystem_Base->abspath()
#4 /srv/www/wp-content/themes/evolve/inc/admin/customizer/customizer.php(1149): evolve_get_controls_from_json()
#5 /srv/www/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(341): evolve_load_the_theme_options()
#6 /srv/www/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(365): WP_Hook->apply_filters()
#7 /srv/www/wp-includes/plugin.php(522): WP_Hook->do_action()
#8 /srv/www/wp-settings.php(742): do_action()
#9 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/WP_CLI/Runner.php(1374): require('...')
#10 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/WP_CLI/Runner.php(1293): WP_CLI\Runner->load_wordpress()
#11 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/WP_CLI/Bootstrap/LaunchRunner.php(28): WP_CLI\Runner->start()
#12 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/bootstrap.php(84): WP_CLI\Bootstrap\LaunchRunner->process()
#13 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli/php/wp-cli.php(35): WP_CLI\bootstrap()
#14 phar:///usr/local/bin/wp/php/boot-phar.php(20): include('...')
#15 /usr/local/bin/wp(4): include('...')
#16 {main}
  thrown in /srv/www/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php on line 438
Error: There has been a critical error on this website.Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. There has been a critical error on this website.

This does not happen when using a standard user.

Describe what you would expect as the correct outcome

I would expect not to get this error, as when running with a standard user.

Let us know what environment you are running this on

OS:	Linux 6.1.0-44-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.164-1 (2026-03-09) x86_64
Shell:	/bin/bash
PHP binary:	/usr/bin/php8.2
PHP version:	8.2.30
php.ini used:	/etc/php/8.2/cli/php.ini
MySQL binary:	/usr/bin/mariadb
MySQL version:	mariadb  Ver 15.1 Distrib 10.11.14-MariaDB, for debian-linux-gnu (x86_64) using  EditLine wrapper
SQL modes:	
WP-CLI root dir:	phar://wp-cli.phar/vendor/wp-cli/wp-cli
WP-CLI vendor dir:	phar://wp-cli.phar/vendor
WP_CLI phar path:	phar:///usr/local/bin/wp
WP-CLI packages dir:	
WP-CLI cache dir:	/root/.wp-cli/cache
WP-CLI global config:	
WP-CLI project config:	
WP-CLI version:	2.12.0

[swissspidy]

Hi there

This error is likely caused by your theme, as indicated by the logged message you shared. Try using --skip-themes to work around this. I recommend reporting this to the theme developer so they can look into this and improve their code.

[FabioPedretti]

Reported here:

• astra-sites: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/uncaught-typeerror-ftp_fput-argument-1-ftp-must-be-of-type/
• ultimate-member: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/uncaught-typeerror-ftp_pwd-argument-1-ftp-must-be-of-type/

[swissspidy]

These are plugins though 🤔 The right place to report issues with the evolve theme would be https://wordpress.org/support/theme/evolve/

[FabioPedretti]

The original issue I reported here only happens with wp-cli 2.12.0 and no longer happens after upgrading to nighty wp-cli 2.13.0-alpha-75afa05. I can confirm it having both wp-cli versions installed and also checking with 2 different wordpress installations using the evolve theme.

I opened tickets for 2 similar issues I found on other installations with wp-cli 2.13.0-alpha-75afa05. You can see the error log is different, although similar.

EDIT: the original issue here involved ftp_nlist, the 2 plugin issues involved ftp_fput and ftp_pwd.

The original issue being fixed with wp-cli 2.13.0-alpha-75afa05 indeed looks strange, just to double check, are you sure the 2 plugin issues I reported are really plugin issues and cannot be fixed in wp-cli?

Thanks!

[swissspidy]

If the issue is not occurring with WP-CLI nightly anymore then there is nothing to fix :-)

What we changed in the nightly is setting --context=auto, so when running wp plugin * we set --context=admin in the background. That is probably what causes the difference in behavior. But that means the errors you're seeing might still occur when running other WP-CLI commands. In which case these errors should still be fixed in the respective plugin or theme.

[FabioPedretti]

OK, reported also for evolve (even if theme was last modified in 2023, not sure if it's still maintained):

• evolve: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/uncaught-typeerror-ftp_fput-argument-1-ftp-must-be-of-type-2/