CVE-2019-14397
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 80.0.5 allows demo accounts to modify arbitrary files via the extractfile API1 call (SEC-496).
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 80.0.5 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where demo accounts (severely restricted test accounts) can modify arbitrary files on the filesystem through the extractfile API1 call. This allows a low-privilege demo user to bypass intended restrictions and perform unauthorized file operations.
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< 80.0.5CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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.
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Determine cPanel versionRun 'whmapi1 version' or check /usr/local/cpanel/version to obtain the installed cPanel version numberAffected if The installed version is earlier than 80.0.5 (for example, 78.x or 79.x)
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Check if demo account functionality is enabledLook for demo accounts in the cPanel user database via WHM API: 'whmapi1 listaccts' or check /var/cpanel/users/ for accounts with type 'demo'Affected if Any demo-type user accounts exist on the system
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Verify demo user file operation restrictionsAttempt to access the extractfile API endpoint as a demo user, or inspect cPanel API documentation and role-based access controls for demo account permissionsAffected if Demo accounts have access to file modification APIs such as extractfile
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Review recent file modifications by demo usersAudit system logs (typically in /usr/local/cpanel/logs/) or authentication logs for file operations performed by users with demo account privilegesAffected if Demo accounts have modified files outside their designated temporary directory
You are affected if running cPanel version before 80.0.5 AND demo account functionality is enabled on the server.
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 data80.0.5
Upgrade cPanel to version 80.0.5 or later to obtain the patch. As a temporary mitigation, consider disabling demo account functionality until the upgrade can be performed.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-14397 — 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-2019-14397 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data