CVE-2018-20887
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 74.0.0 allows SQL injection during database backups (SEC-420).
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 confidenceThis is a SQL injection vulnerability in cPanel's database backup functionality affecting versions prior to 74.0.0. An attacker could exploit this during database backup operations to inject malicious SQL queries, potentially compromising the underlying database and potentially gaining unauthorized access to the cPanel 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< 74.0.0CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.
-
Check the installed cPanel versionRun the command: /usr/local/cpanel/cpanel -V or check /usr/local/cpanel/version fileAffected if The version number is less than 74.0.0 (for example, 72.0.0, 70.x.x, etc.)
-
Verify database backup feature statusLog into cPanel and navigate to the 'Backup' or 'Backup Wizard' section, or check for the existence and permissions of /usr/local/cpanel/bin/backup configuration filesAffected if The backup functionality is present and the cPanel version is below 74.0.0
-
Inspect backup configuration for the database moduleExamine /var/cpanel/backups/ and related configuration directories for backup.conf or config files that control database backup behaviorAffected if Backup configuration files exist and the cPanel version is below 74.0.0, indicating the vulnerable feature could be invoked
-
Review access to cPanel backup interfacesCheck if the database backup functionality is exposed via cPanel, WHM, or any public-facing interfaces by inspecting /var/cpanel/users/ and cPanel theme configurationsAffected if Users can access database backup features and the installed cPanel version is below 74.0.0
If the installed cPanel version is below 74.0.0 and the database backup functionality is accessible, the environment is affected by this SQL injection vulnerability.
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.
dbcve · scoped74.0.0
Update cPanel to version 74.0.0 or later to patch the SQL injection vulnerability. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to cPanel interfaces and monitor for suspicious backup activity.
cPanel 74.0.0
- Confirm current cPanel version using 'whmapi1 version' or checking in WHM interface
- Upgrade cPanel to version 74.0.0 or later using the 'update' tool in WHM (Home >> Server Configuration >> Update Preferences)
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the cPanel version again
- Test database backup functionality to confirm the SQL injection vulnerability is resolved
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-20887 — 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-2018-20887 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