# CVE-2017-18480: Missing authorization in n/a

> Attackers can access or modify MySQL configuration files for other users via WHM API calls due to missing ownership checks.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Aug 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mggr-342h-c8m6

## What is CVE-2017-18480?

CVE-2017-18480 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Cpanel Cpanel, published on 5 Aug 2019. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

cPanel before 62.0.4 does not enforce account ownership for has_mycnf_for_cpuser WHM API calls (SEC-210).

Weakness: CWE-254

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-18480?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cpanel Cpanel.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-18480?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-18480 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-18480 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-18480 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cpanel Cpanel

- [CVE-2026-41940](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41940/): WebPros cPanel & WHM and WP2 (WordPress Squared) Missing Authentication for Critical Function (critical 9.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2003-1425](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-1425/): guestbook.cgi in cPanel 5.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via the template parameter. (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2004-1769](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1769/): Code injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2004-1770](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1770/): Command injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2020-26098](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-26098/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-18480 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-18480 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Cpanel Cpanel, published on 5 Aug 2019. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-18480 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cpanel Cpanel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18480/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18480/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-18480
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-18480
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-18480

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18480/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.