UNKNOWN CVSS 5.1
Published: 2009-03-30

CVE-2008-6540

dnnsoftware dotnetnuke Security Advisory (CVE-2008-6540)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2008-6540 impacting dnnsoftware dotnetnuke. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 5.1 (UNKNOWN).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
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.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product dnnsoftware / dotnetnuke
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-264

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-2008-6540 impacting dnnsoftware dotnetnuke.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2008-6540.yaml
id: cve-2008-6540

info:
  name: dnnsoftware dotnetnuke - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: unknown
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2008-6540 affecting dnnsoftware dotnetnuke.
    Evaluation: DotNetNuke before 4.8.2, during installation or upgrade, does not warn the administrator when the default (1) ValidationKey and (2) DecryptionKey valu...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2008-6540
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
    cvss-score: 5.1
    cve-id: CVE-2008-6540
    cwe-id: CWE-264
  tags: cve,cve-2008-6540,dnnsoftware,dotnetnuke,unknown

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "dotnetnuke"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2008-6540.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2008-6540
# Target: dnnsoftware dotnetnuke | CVSS: 5.1 (UNKNOWN)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2008-6540 (dnnsoftware dotnetnuke)...")
    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 dnnsoftware dotnetnuke scope (*).")
        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-2008-6540.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2008-6540
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install dotnetnuke 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade dotnetnuke 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update dotnetnuke

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

# 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.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2008-6540 in dnnsoftware dotnetnuke?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update dnnsoftware dotnetnuke 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-2008-6540?

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-2008-6540?

CVE-2008-6540 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.1 (UNKNOWN). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
5.1
UNKNOWN SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2008-6540
Weakness CWE-264
Vendor dnnsoftware
Product dotnetnuke
Published 2009-03-30
Vector AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P