CVE-2008-6540 DotNetNuke Default Machine Key Exposure
Remote attackers can bypass access restrictions in DotNetNuke by exploiting default cryptographic keys in the configuration file.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2008-6540?
CVE-2008-6540 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Dnnsoftware Dotnetnuke, published on 30 Mar 2009. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
DotNetNuke before 4.8.2, during installation or upgrade, does not warn the administrator when the default (1) ValidationKey and (2) DecryptionKey values cannot be modified in the web.config file, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions by using the default keys.
Weakness: CWE-264
Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-6540?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including DotNetNuke.Core. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
DotNetNuke.Core NuGet | All versions | 4.8.2 |
DotNetNuke.Core NuGet | All versions | 4.8.2 |
Products include Dnnsoftware Dotnetnuke.
How do I fix CVE-2008-6540?
Upgrade DotNetNuke.Core to 4.8.2 or later.
Is CVE-2008-6540 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2008-6540 exists.
Public exploit code: 1 Exploit-DB entry.
Other vulnerabilities in Dnnsoftware Dotnetnuke
- CVE-2017-9822 DotNetNuke (DNN) Remote Code Execution
- CVE-2018-15811 DotNetNuke (DNN) Inadequate Encryption Strength
- CVE-2018-18325 DotNetNuke (DNN) Inadequate Encryption Strength
- CVE-2025-64095 DNN Insufficient Access Control - Image Upload allows for Site Content Overwrite
- CVE-2006-3601 Privilege escalation in n/a
Sources
Also known as GHSA-grw3-hjjm-5cjm.