CVE-2011-4763 in Plesk Small Business Panel
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in the Site Editor (aka SiteBuilder) feature 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 Wizard/Edit/Html and certain other files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4763 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Site Editor component of Parallels Plesk Small Business Panel version 10.2.0. This vulnerability resides in the SiteBuilder feature that enables users to create and modify website content through a web-based interface. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious SQL commands through specially crafted input parameters, potentially compromising the underlying database system that stores website configurations, user credentials, and other sensitive information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through specific PHP scripts within the SiteBuilder module, particularly targeting the Wizard/Edit/Html functionality and related files. Attackers can manipulate input fields in these scripts to inject malicious SQL payloads that bypass normal input validation mechanisms. This occurs due to insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data before it is incorporated into database queries, creating a direct pathway for unauthorized database access and manipulation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 as a SQL injection weakness, specifically manifesting as an improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute arbitrary database commands with the privileges of the database user account. This could result in complete database compromise, data exfiltration, modification of website content, unauthorized user account creation, and potential lateral movement within the hosting environment. The remote nature of the attack means that attackers do not require physical access to the server and can exploit the vulnerability from anywhere on the internet. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation and T1190 for exploitation of remote services, demonstrating how web application flaws can be leveraged for broader system compromise.
Organizations using Parallels Plesk Small Business Panel version 10.2.0 should immediately implement comprehensive mitigations including patching to the latest available version that addresses this vulnerability, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block SQL injection attempts, and conducting thorough input validation across all user-facing interfaces. Additionally, database access should be restricted to minimum required privileges, and regular security audits should be performed to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications within the hosting infrastructure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and parameterized queries in preventing SQL injection attacks, which should be implemented as standard security practices across all web applications.