CVE-2016-10805
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 57.9999.54 allows demo accounts to execute arbitrary code via ajax_maketext_syntax_util.pl (SEC-109).
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 57.9999.54 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in the ajax_maketext_syntax_util.pl CGI script. Demo accounts, which should be severely restricted, can exploit this to execute arbitrary code on the server, bypassing intended sandbox restrictions.
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>= 11.50.0.4, < 11.50.6.2>= 11.51.9999.98, < 11.52.6.1>= 11.54.0.0, < 11.54.0.24>= 55.9999.61, < 56.0.15>= 57.9999.48, < 57.9999.54CVSS 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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Determine installed cPanel versionRun: /usr/local/cpanel/version or check /usr/local/cpanel/cpanel -VAffected if The version number falls within any of these ranges: 11.50.0.4 to 11.50.6.2, 11.51.9999.98 to 11.52.6.1, 11.54.0.0 to 11.54.0.24, 55.9999.61 to 56.0.15, or 57.9999.48 to 57.9999.54
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Locate the vulnerable CGI scriptSearch for ajax_maketext_syntax_util.pl in cPanel's CGI directories, typically under /usr/local/cpanel/base/frontend/ or /cpanel/ directoryAffected if The file exists and the cPanel version is in the affected ranges above
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Verify demo accounts are enabledCheck via WHM: Main >> Account Functions >> Demo Mode, or via command line: grep -i demo /var/cpanel/users/* 2>/dev/nullAffected if Demo accounts exist on the server (the vulnerability specifically exploits demo account privileges)
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Check CGI script permissions and ownershipInspect file permissions: ls -la /path/to/ajax_maketext_syntax_util.pl and verify it is executable by the cPanel userAffected if The script is present and executable by non-root users, especially the cPanel demo account user
You are affected if your cPanel version is in the affected ranges AND demo accounts exist on the server, as the exploit specifically targets demo accounts to bypass sandbox restrictions.
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 data11.50.6.211.52.6.111.54.0.24
Upgrade cPanel to version 57.9999.54 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling demo accounts or restricting access to the affected CGI endpoint.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-10805 — 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-2016-10805 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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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.
- 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