---
title: "WEB-EXP-011 Database Administration Tool Exposed"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-EXP-011.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-EXP-011.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# WEB-EXP-011 Database Administration Tool Exposed

Checks whether phpMyAdmin or Adminer login pages are publicly reachable.

- Domain: Web Apps
- Severity: Medium
- Control category: Information Exposure
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 16.7
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-01
- CWE: CWE-1188, CWE-306
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A05:2021, A07:2021
- OWASP WSTG v4.2: WSTG-CONF-05
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: CM-7, AC-3

## Why It Matters

Database admin tools are among the most attacked paths on the internet: they invite password guessing and their own vulnerabilities give direct database access.

## How It Detects

Requests /phpmyadmin/, /pma/, /phpMyAdmin/ and /adminer.php; a 200 page containing the tool's name confirms exposure. No login is attempted.

## How to Fix

Remove the tool, or restrict it to administrators by IP allow-list, VPN or an extra authentication layer, and keep it updated.

## How to Verify

```
From outside your network, the paths should return 403 or 404.
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P6 Information Exposure and Misconfiguration](https://openvapt.com/academy/p6.md)

## References

- [OWASP WSTG-CONF-05, Enumerate Infrastructure and Application Admin Interfaces](https://wstg.owasp.org/v4.2/4-Web_Application_Security_Testing/02-Configuration_and_Deployment_Management_Testing/05-Enumerate_Infrastructure_and_Application_Admin_Interfaces/)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/web/exposure.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only WEB-EXP-011`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain WEB-EXP-011`.

---

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