CVE-2016-10788
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedcPanel before 60.0.25 allows arbitrary code execution via Maketext in PostgreSQL adminbin (SEC-188).
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidencecPanel before version 60.0.25 contains a code injection vulnerability in its PostgreSQL adminbin functionality. The Maketext parameter is not properly sanitized, allowing an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code on the server. This is a critical vulnerability in a widely-used web hosting control panel that could allow complete system compromise.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 11.54.0.0, < 11.54.0.33>= 55.9999.61, < 56.0.39>= 57.9999.48, < 58.0.37>= 59.9999.58, < 60.0.25CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed cPanel versionRun the command: cat /usr/local/cpanel/version or check /var/cpanel/envvars for version informationAffected if The version falls within any of these ranges: 11.54.0.0-11.54.0.32, 55.9999.61-56.0.38, 57.9999.48-58.0.36, or 59.9999.58-60.0.24 (versions below 60.0.25 in branches 11.54, 56, 57, or 59)
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Confirm PostgreSQL is enabled on the serverCheck if PostgreSQL service is running: systemctl status postgresql or ps aux | grep postgres. Alternatively, check WHM plugin list for PostgreSQL availability.Affected if PostgreSQL is installed and the server has the PostgreSQL cPanel module active
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Verify adminbin interface accessibilityCheck for the presence of /usr/local/cpanel/bin/adminbin or /usr/local/cpanel/Cpanel/AdminBin.pm and confirm it handles PostgreSQL operationsAffected if The adminbin CGI wrapper for PostgreSQL (Postgres.pm module) exists and is executable by the cPanel user
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Determine if PostgreSQL database users existQuery the PostgreSQL database for user accounts via: psql -U postgres -c '\du' or check /var/cpanel/users/ for database configuration filesAffected if Any PostgreSQL database users are configured, indicating the feature is in use
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Check for authenticated session accessReview access logs (e.g., /usr/local/cpanel/logs/access_log) for requests to adminbin/2/Postgres/ endpointsAffected if There are logged requests to the PostgreSQL adminbin handler, indicating the attack surface is reachable
A system is affected if it runs a cPanel version below 60.0.25 in the listed version branches AND has PostgreSQL with the adminbin interface accessible to authenticated users.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data11.54.0.3356.0.3958.0.37
Upgrade cPanel to version 60.0.25 or later to remediate the arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the PostgreSQL adminbin Maketext functionality.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-10788 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-10788 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data