IP Networking

Ok. You have to use an FTP client that does not need pwd or use pwd.

Or you have to get the admin to add pwd to the chroot jail. Those are your choices.

There is on other possibility - get the source for whatever the users have, rewrite the FTP client.

This is clearly a management problem - it is not a coding issue. It is not a support issue. You have two intractable groups and you're in the middle. You cannot code your way out easily.

How about a non-broken ftp client? Error 550 simply means "Action not taken". A polite decline from the server. Why you would need to PWD if you performed a successful CWD? Then again, why is PWD a security risk?

Silliness, all silliness.

Probably because it's a secure server and ftp is chrooted in there some misguided soul wants to stop all commands except maybe ls. However since it's anonymous ftp all of this is nonsense. anonymous ftp means world read which is NOT secure. Not no how, not no way - to quote the Lion from Oz.