CVE-2017-18446
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 64.0.21 allows file-read and file-write operations for demo accounts via the SourceIPCheck API (SEC-250).
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 64.0.21 contains an access control vulnerability in the SourceIPCheck API that allows demo accounts to perform unauthorized file-read and file-write operations on the filesystem, bypassing intended restrictions for demonstration accounts.
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>= 55.9999.61, < 56.0.49>= 57.9999.48, < 58.0.49>= 59.9999.58, < 60.0.43>= 61.9999.55, < 62.0.24>= 63.9999.74, < 64.0.21CVSS 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
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
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 the installed cPanel versionRun the command: /usr/local/cpanel/version or rpm -q cpanel (or check /var/cpanel/version)Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 55.9999.61 to 56.0.49, 57.9999.48 to 58.0.49, 59.9999.58 to 60.0.43, 61.9999.55 to 62.0.24, or 63.9999.74 to 64.0.21
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Identify if demo accounts exist on the systemCheck for demo accounts using the command: grep -i demo /etc/passwd or list accounts via WHM API or cPanel API calling listacctsAffected if Any demo-type accounts are present on the server (accounts with demo user role)
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Verify the SourceIPCheck API is accessibleInspect API access controls in cPanel configuration files under /var/cpanel/ or check via WHM API call for API permissions related to SourceIPCheckAffected if The SourceIPCheck API endpoint is exposed and accessible without proper IP-based restrictions
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Test for unauthorized file operations via demo accountAttempt a read or write operation through the API using a demo account session from an unauthorized IP address, or review API access logs for file operation attempts from demo accountsAffected if File-read or file-write operations can be performed through the API using a demo account, indicating the access control bypass is present
The environment is affected if the cPanel version is below 64.0.21 (within any of the affected version ranges) AND demo accounts exist on the system with the SourceIPCheck API accessible.
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 data56.0.4958.0.4960.0.43
Upgrade cPanel to version 64.0.21 or later to remediate the access control bypass in the SourceIPCheck API that permits file operations from demo accounts.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-18446 — 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-2017-18446 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
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