diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php
index 975a4dd717..3ce8b67996 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php
@@ -419,11 +419,22 @@ class WP_Filesystem_FTPext extends WP_Filesystem_Base {
 	 * Checks if a file or directory exists.
 	 *
 	 * @since 2.5.0
+	 * @since 6.3.0 Returns false for an empty path.
 	 *
 	 * @param string $path Path to file or directory.
 	 * @return bool Whether $path exists or not.
 	 */
 	public function exists( $path ) {
+		/*
+		 * Check for empty path. If ftp_nlist() receives an empty path,
+		 * it checks the current working directory and may return true.
+		 *
+		 * See https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/33058.
+		 */
+		if ( '' === $path ) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		$list = ftp_nlist( $this->link, $path );
 
 		if ( empty( $list ) && $this->is_dir( $path ) ) {
diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpsockets.php b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpsockets.php
index da771e4156..1e213ea123 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpsockets.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpsockets.php
@@ -421,11 +421,22 @@ class WP_Filesystem_ftpsockets extends WP_Filesystem_Base {
 	 * Checks if a file or directory exists.
 	 *
 	 * @since 2.5.0
+	 * @since 6.3.0 Returns false for an empty path.
 	 *
 	 * @param string $path Path to file or directory.
 	 * @return bool Whether $path exists or not.
 	 */
 	public function exists( $path ) {
+		/*
+		 * Check for empty path. If ftp::nlist() receives an empty path,
+		 * it checks the current working directory and may return true.
+		 *
+		 * See https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/33058.
+		 */
+		if ( '' === $path ) {
+			return false;
+		}
+
 		$list = $this->ftp->nlist( $path );
 
 		if ( empty( $list ) && $this->is_dir( $path ) ) {
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index ef66bfd3de..2d557774ea 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '6.3-alpha-55555';
+$wp_version = '6.3-alpha-55556';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.