CVE-2016-10851
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 11.54.0.4 allows self XSS in the WHM PHP Configuration editor interface (SEC-84).
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 confidenceSelf XSS vulnerability in cPanel's WHM PHP Configuration editor interface allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts through the interface that execute in the context of the authenticated user's session.
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>= 11.48.0.5, < 11.48.5.2>= 11.50.0.4, < 11.50.4.3>= 11.52.2.1, < 11.52.2.4>= 11.54.0.0, < 11.54.0.4CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
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.
-
Determine installed cPanel versionLog in to WHM as admin and navigate to Server Status > cPanel version, or run command '/usr/local/cpanel/cpanel -V' via command lineAffected if The version falls within one of these ranges: 11.48.0.5 to 11.48.5.2, 11.50.0.4 to 11.50.4.3, 11.52.2.1 to 11.52.2.4, or 11.54.0.0 to 11.54.0.4
-
Confirm WHM PHP Configuration editor is accessibleLog in to WHM and navigate to Software > PHP Configuration Editor, or verify the 'php_config' module is available in the WHM interfaceAffected if The WHM PHP Configuration editor interface is present and accessible to authenticated users
-
Check if multiPHP editor is in use insteadNavigate to MultiPHP INI Editor in WHM (Software > MultiPHP INI Editor) to see if this newer interface is being used instead of the legacy PHP Configuration editorAffected if The legacy PHP Configuration editor is still in use rather than the newer MultiPHP INI Editor interface
You are affected if your cPanel version falls within any of the affected version ranges AND the WHM PHP Configuration editor interface is accessible to users who could input untrusted data into it.
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 data11.48.5.211.50.4.311.52.2.4
Update cPanel to version 11.54.0.4 or later which contains the fix for SEC-84.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,904.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-10851 — 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-2016-10851 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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