CVE-2020-10122 in cPanel
Summary
by MITRE
cPanel before 84.0.20 allows a webmail or demo account to delete arbitrary files (SEC-547).
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-10122 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the cPanel web hosting management platform that affects versions prior to 84.0.20. This security weakness enables authenticated users with limited webmail or demo account privileges to execute arbitrary file deletion operations on the underlying system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the file management functions of the cPanel interface, allowing attackers to bypass normal security boundaries and potentially compromise the integrity of hosted applications and user data.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs through improper sanitization of file path parameters within the webmail and demo account functionalities. When users with restricted accounts attempt to delete files through the web interface, the application fails to properly validate the absolute paths or relative paths being submitted, creating an opportunity for path traversal attacks. This vulnerability specifically affects the file deletion mechanisms that are accessible through the webmail module and demo account features, which typically should operate under strict user isolation boundaries. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate file deletion requests to target system files outside of the intended user directories, effectively allowing unauthorized file removal across the entire hosting environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-10122 extends beyond simple file deletion capabilities and can result in significant system compromise and data loss. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can potentially remove critical system files, web application components, user databases, or configuration files that could lead to complete service disruption. The vulnerability particularly threatens shared hosting environments where multiple customers share the same physical infrastructure, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to target not only their own files but potentially those of other users on the same server. This type of arbitrary file deletion capability directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement, creating opportunities for cascading security incidents that could affect entire hosting platforms.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of their cPanel installations to version 84.0.20 or later, as this represents the official fix provided by cPanel Inc. The mitigation strategy should also include comprehensive monitoring of file deletion activities through system logs and intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and additional access controls should be implemented to limit the blast radius of potential attacks, particularly in multi-tenant hosting environments. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-79 Cross-Site Scripting categories, and maps to ATT&CK techniques including T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1486 Data Encrypted for Impact, as the ability to delete arbitrary files can facilitate further malicious activities and data compromise. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of user account permissions and implement additional validation checks for file operations across all web-based management interfaces to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the hosting infrastructure.