CVE-2011-4753 in Plesk Small Business Panel
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in Parallels Plesk Small Business Panel 10.2.0 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via crafted input to a PHP script, as demonstrated by domains/sitebuilder_edit.php and certain other files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/22/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4753 represents a critical SQL injection flaw affecting Parallels Plesk Small Business Panel version 10.2.0. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administration interface of the hosting control panel, specifically targeting PHP scripts that process user input without proper sanitization mechanisms. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious SQL commands through carefully crafted input parameters, potentially enabling full database compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive hosting infrastructure data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and parameter sanitization within the affected PHP scripts, particularly in domains/sitebuilder_edit.php and related administrative components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious input through web forms or URL parameters that are directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which categorizes SQL injection as a code injection technique where untrusted data is executed as SQL commands. The attack vector operates through the standard HTTP protocol, requiring no privileged access or authentication to initiate the exploitation process.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-4753 extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise of the hosting environment. Attackers can extract sensitive information including customer databases, administrative credentials, and hosting configuration details. The vulnerability also enables attackers to modify or delete critical system data, potentially disrupting services for multiple customers simultaneously. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1190, which describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities in software to gain unauthorized access to systems. The impact is particularly severe in shared hosting environments where a single compromised account could potentially affect multiple customer installations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the Parallels Plesk installation to the latest available version that addresses the SQL injection flaws. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns. Input validation and output encoding should be strengthened throughout the application codebase, with proper parameterized queries replacing dynamic SQL construction. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the hosting infrastructure. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular database audit logging can help detect unauthorized access attempts and limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.