CVE-2004-1849 in cPanel
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in cPanel 9.1.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) email parameter to dodelautores.html or (2) handle parameter to addhandle.html.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1849 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting cPanel version 9.1.0, specifically targeting the web-based control panel interface used by hosting providers and system administrators. This vulnerability resides within the email parameter of the dodelautores.html script and the handle parameter of the addhandle.html script, both of which are part of the cPanel administrative interface designed to manage email accounts and user handles respectively. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of specific HTTP parameters within the targeted scripts, allowing attackers to execute malicious payloads in the context of the victim's browser session. When a user interacts with the vulnerable cPanel interface, the improperly validated input gets rendered directly into web pages without adequate sanitization, enabling attackers to inject scripts that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-1849 extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to compromised cPanel accounts and potentially escalate privileges within hosting environments. Attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to compromise entire hosting accounts, manipulate email configurations, create unauthorized user accounts, or deploy malware within the compromised infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in shared hosting environments where multiple customers share the same server resources, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to affect other users on the same hosting platform. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which involves social engineering through malicious web content, and T1071.001 which covers application layer protocol usage for command and control communications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the cPanel software to version 9.1.1 or later, which includes proper input validation and output sanitization measures. Organizations should implement comprehensive web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns targeting these specific parameters, while also establishing regular security auditing procedures to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their hosting infrastructure. Additionally, implementing proper input validation at multiple layers of the application stack, including parameter validation in HTML forms and output encoding in web templates, can prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts within the cPanel interface, and establish monitoring procedures to detect suspicious activities in email and user handle management functions. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect critical administrative interfaces from exploitation attempts.