CVE-2011-4727 in Plesk Panel
Summary
by MITRE
The Server Administration Panel in Parallels Plesk Panel 10.2.0_build1011110331.18 does not properly validate string data that is intended for storage in an XML document, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (parsing error) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted REST URL parameter, as demonstrated by parameters to admin/ and certain other files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4727 resides within the Server Administration Panel of Parallels Plesk Panel version 10.2.0_build101110331.18, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the system's input validation mechanisms. This weakness specifically targets the XML data processing functionality where string data intended for XML storage fails to undergo proper validation checks before being processed. The vulnerability manifests through crafted REST URL parameters that can be exploited by remote attackers to manipulate the application's behavior in ways that compromise system integrity and availability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of URL parameters that are processed by the admin/ endpoints and related administrative files within the Plesk Panel interface. When attackers submit specially crafted input through these REST parameters, the system's XML parser encounters malformed data that it cannot properly handle, leading to parsing errors that can result in service disruption. This parsing failure represents a classic example of insufficient input validation that falls under the CWE-20 weakness category, specifically addressing improper input validation in XML processing contexts.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for system administrators and organizations relying on Plesk Panel for web hosting management. The denial of service condition that can be triggered through this vulnerability effectively prevents legitimate administrative access to the panel, rendering critical management functions unavailable to authorized users. Additionally, the unspecified other impacts mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that attackers might potentially leverage this weakness to achieve more sophisticated exploitation outcomes, including arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation within the affected system environment.
The attack vector for CVE-2011-4727 operates entirely through remote network access, requiring no local system access or authentication credentials beyond what might be needed for normal administrative operations. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with network access to the affected Plesk Panel instance. The vulnerability's presence in the admin/ endpoints indicates that it affects the core administrative functionality of the platform, potentially compromising the entire hosting infrastructure managed through that interface. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in the context of broader attack patterns found in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to privilege escalation and denial of service operations that target administrative interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected Plesk Panel installations to the latest available security updates from Parallels. Network-level protections including firewall rules that restrict access to administrative endpoints and web application firewalls that can detect and block malformed URL parameters should be implemented as additional defensive measures. Regular security assessments of administrative interfaces and input validation mechanisms should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses that might exist in other components of the hosting infrastructure. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions capable of detecting unusual patterns in administrative access attempts that could indicate exploitation attempts against this and similar vulnerabilities.