CVE-2016-10860
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 11.54.0.0 allows unauthorized zone modification via the WHM API (SEC-66).
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 confidencecPanel before version 11.54.0.0 contains an access control vulnerability in the WHM (Web Host Manager) API that allows unauthorized modification of DNS zones. The vulnerability (SEC-66) permits a user to modify zone records without proper authentication or authorization checks through the WHM API interface.
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, < 11.48.4.8>= 11.50.0.4, < 11.50.3.1>= 11.51.9999.98, < 11.52.0.23>= 11.52.1.0, < 11.52.1.1CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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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Check installed cPanel versionRun command: /usr/local/cpanel/cpanel -V or cat /var/cpanel/cpanel.versionAffected if The version falls within any of these ranges: 11.48.0.5 to 11.48.4.7, 11.50.0.4 to 11.50.3.0, 11.51.9999.98 to 11.52.0.22, or 11.52.1.0 to 11.52.1.0 (any build before 11.54.0.0)
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Verify WHM API is accessibleConfirm the WHM API interface is exposed on port 2086/2087 or via XML-API. Check configuration in /var/cpanel/conf/apache/local.conf or /etc/cpanel/ea4/isEA4 for API endpoints.Affected if WHM API interface is exposed and accessible to unauthorized users or untrusted accounts
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Review DNS zone modification logsSearch WHM API access logs in /usr/local/cpanel/logs/ or /var/log/cpanel/ for API calls to zone editing functions (e.g., addzonerecord, editzone, editzonerecord). Use: grep -r 'addzonerecord\|editzone' /usr/local/cpanel/logs/Affected if Any zone modification API calls exist from users without proper administrative privileges or from unexpected IP addresses
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Check for unauthorized DNS zone changesCompare recent DNS zone file modifications in /var/named/ with legitimate change requests. Review cPanel audit logs via: grep -i 'zone' /usr/local/cpanel/logs/audit_logAffected if DNS zone files have been modified without documented authorization or by non-admin accounts
If the cPanel version is below 11.54.0.0 AND the WHM API is accessible, the environment is vulnerable to unauthorized DNS zone modifications via the WHM API.
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 data11.48.4.811.50.3.111.52.0.23
Update cPanel to version 11.54.0.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Until patched, monitor WHM API access logs for unauthorized zone modification attempts.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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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 sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-10860 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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