CVE-2006-5014 in cPanel
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in cPanel before 10.9.0 12 Tree allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges via unspecified vectors in (1) mysqladmin and (2) hooksadmin.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-5014 represents a privilege escalation issue within the cPanel control panel software that affected versions prior to 10.9.0 12 Tree. This security flaw specifically targeted the mysqladmin and hooksadmin components of the cPanel system, creating potential pathways for authenticated remote attackers to elevate their access privileges within the hosting environment. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors suggests that the underlying technical mechanism enabling this privilege escalation was not fully disclosed in the initial vulnerability report, though it was clearly present within these specific administrative modules.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of authentication and authorization within the mysqladmin and hooksadmin functions of cPanel's administrative interface. These components are responsible for managing database administration tasks and system hook execution respectively, making them critical points of access within the hosting control panel. When authenticated users with lower privileges could exploit weaknesses in these modules, they potentially gained access to elevated system permissions that should have been restricted to administrators only. This type of vulnerability directly relates to CWE-269, which addresses improper privileges assigned to administrative functions, and CWE-276, which covers incorrect permissions for security-critical resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it could enable attackers to compromise entire hosting environments through the manipulation of database administration functions and system hooks. Attackers could potentially modify database configurations, execute arbitrary system commands, or alter critical system files through these elevated privileges. The remote aspect of the vulnerability means that attackers did not need physical access to the server, making the attack surface significantly larger and more dangerous for hosting providers and their clients. This vulnerability particularly affected shared hosting environments where multiple users might be granted access to cPanel, as it could allow one user to gain access to another user's data or system resources through the compromised administrative functions.
The remediation for this vulnerability required updating cPanel to version 10.9.0 12 Tree or later, which included patches addressing the privilege escalation mechanisms in both mysqladmin and hooksadmin components. Security administrators should have implemented immediate updates to prevent exploitation while monitoring for any signs of attempted exploitation. Organizations using cPanel should have also reviewed access controls and user permissions to ensure that only authorized administrators had access to these critical functions. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper privilege separation in administrative interfaces and demonstrates how seemingly isolated components can create significant security risks when not properly secured against privilege escalation attacks. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the use of administrative tools to gain elevated system access. Organizations should have implemented regular security assessments and patch management procedures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from remaining unaddressed for extended periods.