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CpanelApplication

CVE-2016-10802

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-08-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.52.6.2 / 11.54.0.26 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
cPanel before 58.0.4 allows code execution in the context of other user accounts through the PHP CGI handler (SEC-142).

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 · moderate confidence

cPanel before version 58.0.4 contains a vulnerability in its PHP CGI handler that allows an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of other user accounts on the same server, representing a privilege escalation issue (SEC-142).

MitigationUpgrade cPanel to version 58.0.4 or later to patch the PHP CGI handler vulnerability. This is a critical patch requiring prompt deployment given the high CVSS score and code execution capability.

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
CpanelApplication
Affected:>= 11.51.9999.98, < 11.52.6.2>= 11.54.0.0, < 11.54.0.26>= 55.9999.61, < 56.0.27>= 57.9999.48, < 58.0.4

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine installed cPanel version
    Run command: /usr/local/cpanel/cpanel -V or check WHM footer for version number
    Affected if Version falls within ranges: 11.51.9999.98 to 11.52.6.2, 11.54.0.0 to 11.54.0.26, 55.9999.61 to 56.0.27, or 57.9999.48 to 58.0.4 (versions before 58.0.4 in these branches)
  2. Verify PHP CGI handler is in use
    Check cPanel PHP configuration at /usr/local/cpanel/ThirdParty/php-fpm/configuration.json or review Apache configuration for CGI/php-cgi handler usage
    Affected if PHP CGI handler is enabled or PHP runs in CGI mode rather than mod_php or PHP-FPM
  3. Confirm multi-user environment
    Check for multiple cPanel accounts via command: ls -la /var/cpanel/users/ or WHM Account List
    Affected if Multiple user accounts exist on the server (privilege escalation targets other accounts)

If cPanel version is before 58.0.4 (within affected version ranges) and PHP CGI handler is active in a multi-user environment, the system is vulnerable to privilege escalation via SEC-142.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 11.52.6.2 / 11.54.0.26 / 56.0.27 or later
Fixed in 11.52.6.211.54.0.2656.0.27
Interim mitigation

Upgrade cPanel to version 58.0.4 or later to patch the PHP CGI handler vulnerability. This is a critical patch requiring prompt deployment given the high CVSS score and code execution capability.

Fix this in Cpanel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-10802 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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