CVE-2017-18445 in cPanel
Summary
by MITRE
cPanel before 64.0.21 does not enforce demo restrictions for SSL API calls (SEC-249).
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-18445 affects cPanel versions prior to 64.0.21 and represents a critical security flaw in the software's API access controls. This issue specifically targets the SSL API functionality within the cPanel environment, where demo restrictions are not properly enforced during SSL certificate operations. The vulnerability was categorized as SEC-249 by the cPanel security team, indicating its significance within their vulnerability classification system.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that should have prevented unauthorized access to SSL API calls in demo environments. In properly configured systems, demo accounts should have restricted access to certain administrative functions to prevent exploitation of sensitive operations. However, this vulnerability allowed malicious actors to bypass these restrictions and execute SSL-related API commands that should have been limited to full administrative accounts. The flaw essentially creates a pathway for privilege escalation through API access control bypass.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access control violations and represents a significant risk to system integrity and data security. Attackers who exploit this vulnerability could potentially manipulate SSL certificates, manage encryption keys, or perform other sensitive operations within the cPanel environment without proper authorization. This capability could lead to man-in-the-middle attacks, certificate forgery, or complete compromise of SSL-protected services hosted on the affected servers. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on cPanel's demo functionality for testing purposes, as these environments may contain sensitive configuration data or be used to validate security controls.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to cPanel version 64.0.21 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the SSL API restriction bypass. Additionally, administrators should review and tighten access controls for demo accounts, ensuring that any remaining demo environments are properly isolated and monitored. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, and could potentially be leveraged as part of broader attack patterns that follow the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques. Security monitoring should focus on anomalous API access patterns and unauthorized SSL certificate modifications within the cPanel environment.