UNKNOWN CVSS 5.8
Published: 2009-08-19

CVE-2008-6984

parallels plesk Security Advisory (CVE-2008-6984)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2008-6984 impacting parallels plesk. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 5.8 (UNKNOWN).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Plesk 8.6.0, when short mail login names (SHORTNAMES) are enabled, allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and send spam e-mail via a message with (1) a base64-encoded username that begins with a valid shortname, or (2) a username that matches a valid password, as demonstrated using (a) SMTP and qmail, and (b) Courier IMAP and POP3.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product parallels / plesk
Affected Versions 8.6.0
Weakness Enumeration CWE-287

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2008-6984 impacting parallels plesk.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2008-6984.yaml
id: cve-2008-6984

info:
  name: parallels plesk - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: unknown
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2008-6984 affecting parallels plesk.
    Evaluation: Plesk 8.6.0, when short mail login names (SHORTNAMES) are enabled, allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and send spam e-mail via a message...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2008-6984
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N
    cvss-score: 5.8
    cve-id: CVE-2008-6984
    cwe-id: CWE-287
  tags: cve,cve-2008-6984,parallels,plesk,unknown

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "plesk"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2008-6984.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2008-6984
# Target: parallels plesk | CVSS: 5.8 (UNKNOWN)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2008-6984 (parallels plesk)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against parallels plesk scope (8.6.0).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2008-6984.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2008-6984
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install plesk 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade plesk 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update plesk

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i plesk 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i plesk

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2008-6984 in parallels plesk?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update parallels plesk packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2008-6984?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2008-6984?

CVE-2008-6984 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.8 (UNKNOWN). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
5.8
UNKNOWN SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2008-6984
Weakness CWE-287
Vendor parallels
Product plesk
Published 2009-08-19
Vector AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N