CVE-2011-4767 in Plesk Small Business Panel
Summary
by MITRE
The Site Editor (aka SiteBuilder) feature in Parallels Plesk Small Business Panel 10.2.0 has web pages containing e-mail addresses that are not intended for correspondence about the local application deployment, which allows remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive information by reading a page, as demonstrated by js/Wizard/Status.js and certain other files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/14/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4767 resides within the Site Editor functionality of Parallels Plesk Small Business Panel version 10.2.0, representing a sensitive information disclosure issue that exposes email addresses through web pages intended for application management rather than public communication. This flaw specifically affects the SiteBuilder component that enables users to create and modify website content through a graphical interface, where certain javascript files contain email addresses that should remain private and restricted to internal system administration purposes. The vulnerability manifests when remote attackers access specific web pages within the application's interface, particularly in files such as js/Wizard/Status.js and related components, which inadvertently expose contact information that could be leveraged for malicious purposes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper information handling within the application's user interface components, where email addresses are hardcoded into javascript files without adequate protection or access controls. This represents a classic example of insecure direct object reference and information exposure patterns that violate fundamental security principles. The flaw operates at the application layer where web content is served to remote users, making it accessible through standard HTTP requests without requiring authentication or authorization. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and demonstrates how seemingly benign application features can inadvertently create attack vectors when sensitive data is not properly secured. The specific file paths mentioned indicate that this is not a localized issue but affects core components of the SiteBuilder functionality that are integral to the application's operational interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposed email addresses could be harvested by automated tools and used for targeted phishing campaigns, spam distribution, or social engineering attacks against system administrators and users. Attackers could potentially use these addresses to conduct spear-phishing operations, impersonate legitimate system contacts, or gather intelligence about the organization's communication infrastructure. The exposure of internal contact information also reveals organizational structure and communication patterns that could aid in planning more sophisticated attacks. This vulnerability particularly affects small business deployments where administrators may not have robust security monitoring in place to detect such information leaks, making the impact more severe in environments with limited cybersecurity maturity. The issue demonstrates how application design decisions can create unintended security implications that persist even when core system components are properly secured.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-4767 should focus on removing or obfuscating email addresses from publicly accessible javascript files and implementing proper access controls for application interface components. Organizations should conduct comprehensive code reviews to identify all instances where sensitive information might be exposed through web interfaces, particularly in javascript and other client-side components. The recommended approach includes implementing proper input validation and output encoding to prevent sensitive data from being rendered in web pages accessible to unauthenticated users. Additionally, organizations should establish security scanning procedures that can detect information exposure vulnerabilities during development and deployment phases. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering tactics, and highlights the importance of information protection controls in preventing unauthorized data disclosure. System administrators should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual access patterns that might indicate automated harvesting of exposed contact information. The fix should involve removing hardcoded email addresses from client-side files and implementing server-side mechanisms for contact information management that properly enforce access controls and authentication requirements.