CVE-2020-12785
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 86.0.14 allows attackers to obtain access to the current working directory via the account backup feature (SEC-540).
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 86.0.14 contains a directory disclosure vulnerability in the account backup feature (SEC-540). Attackers can obtain access to the current working directory, likely through a path traversal issue in the backup functionality.
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>= 11.78.0.1, < 11.78.0.47>= 11.84.0.0, < 11.84.0.22>= 11.86.0.1, < 11.86.0.14CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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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Identify the installed cPanel versionRun the command 'whmapi1 version' or check /usr/local/cpanel/version to determine the currently installed cPanel versionAffected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 11.78.0.1 through 11.78.0.46, 11.84.0.0 through 11.84.0.21, or 11.86.0.1 through 11.86.0.13
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Verify the backup feature is configuredCheck if backup functionality is enabled in WHM under 'Backup Configuration' or via the backup configuration files in /var/cpanel/backups/Affected if The backup feature is enabled and configured on the system
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Assess access to the backup functionalityDetermine if the backup interface is accessible to untrusted users. Check if the cPanel interface or backup-related endpoints are exposed to the internet or accessible by unprivileged accountsAffected if The backup feature is accessible to unauthorized or untrusted users, particularly over the network
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Look for evidence of directory disclosureReview backup logs and any unusual file access patterns. Check if backup operations reveal unexpected path information in logs located in /var/cpanel/logs/ or /usr/local/cpanel/logs/Affected if Backup logs or operations show path traversal indicators such as unusual directory paths or access to files outside expected backup locations
You are affected if your cPanel version is in an affected range AND the backup feature is enabled and accessible to potential attackers.
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 data11.78.0.4711.84.0.2211.86.0.14
Upgrade cPanel to version 86.0.14 or later to remediate this vulnerability.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-12785 — 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-2020-12785 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