CVE-2017-18468
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 62.0.17 allows demo accounts to execute code via the Htaccess::setphppreference API (SEC-232).
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 62.0.17 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where demo/trial accounts can bypass intended restrictions and execute arbitrary code through the Htaccess::setphppreference API function (SEC-232). This allows authenticated users with limited demo accounts to achieve code execution on the hosting server, potentially compromising the entire system.
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, < 56.0.46>= 57.9999.48, < 58.0.45>= 59.9999.58, < 60.0.39>= 61.9999.55, < 62.0.17CVSS 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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Determine your cPanel versionLog in to WHM and check 'Server Status' > 'cPanel Version' or run 'cat /usr/local/cpanel/version' via command lineAffected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 55.9999.61 through 55.x.x, 57.9999.48 through 57.x.x, 59.9999.58 through 59.x.x, or 61.9999.55 through 61.x.x (specifically versions before 56.0.46, 58.0.45, 60.0.39, or 62.0.17)
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Check if demo/trial accounts exist or are enabledIn WHM, navigate to 'Account Functions' > 'Create a New Account' and look for demo account options, or query via API: uapi --user= reseller_username Account::list_accounts with account_type filter for demoAffected if Demo or trial type accounts are present on the system or enabled in the configuration
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Verify the Htaccess::setphppreference API function accessibilityTest API access via command line: uapi --user=demo_account Htaccess setphppreference or check /var/cpanel/users/ for demo account configurationsAffected if The Htaccess::setphppreference API function can be invoked by an authenticated demo/trial user account
You are affected if your cPanel version is below 62.0.17 AND demo/trial accounts exist and can access the Htaccess::setphppreference API function, allowing privilege escalation to arbitrary code execution.
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 data56.0.4658.0.4560.0.39
Upgrade cPanel to version 62.0.17 or later to patch the vulnerability. Until upgrade is possible, restrict or disable demo/trial account functionality as a compensating control.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-18468 — 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-2017-18468 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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