CVE-2008-6399 in DotNetNuke
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in DotNetNuke 4.5.2 through 4.9 allows remote attackers to "add additional roles to their user account" via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6399 represents a security flaw within DotNetNuke content management systems version 4.5.2 through 4.9 that enables remote attackers to escalate their privileges by adding additional roles to their existing user accounts. This unspecified vulnerability falls under the category of privilege escalation attacks that can potentially compromise the integrity and confidentiality of web applications built on the DotNetNuke platform. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified suggests that the exact technical mechanism enabling this privilege escalation was not fully disclosed in the initial vulnerability report, making it particularly concerning for security practitioners who must implement defensive measures without complete technical details. The attack vector likely involves manipulation of user role assignment mechanisms within the application's authentication and authorization framework, potentially exploiting weaknesses in input validation or session management controls. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege by allowing unauthorized users to gain elevated permissions that should be restricted to authorized administrators or privileged users.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses categorized under CWE-264, which addresses permissions, privileges, and access controls. The flaw represents a failure in the application's access control implementation where user role management functions do not properly validate or authenticate requests to modify user permissions. Attackers could potentially exploit this by crafting malicious requests that bypass normal authorization checks, allowing them to assign themselves additional roles that grant them access to restricted functionality, administrative features, or sensitive data within the DotNetNuke application. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple exploitation paths may exist, including but not limited to parameter manipulation, session hijacking, or cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that could be leveraged to achieve the privilege escalation. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple user account compromise as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative controls and sensitive system resources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations relying on DotNetNuke platforms, particularly those handling sensitive data or requiring strict access control measures. The ability to add additional roles remotely means that attackers could potentially elevate their privileges from standard user accounts to administrative roles without requiring legitimate credentials or access to system administration interfaces. This scenario creates a pathway for attackers to gain complete control over the web application, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized modifications to website content, or the ability to exfiltrate sensitive information. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of DotNetNuke indicates a persistent flaw in the platform's security architecture that required immediate attention from both vendors and users to prevent exploitation. Organizations using affected versions would be at risk of unauthorized access to critical system functions, including user management, content editing, and system configuration changes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of affected DotNetNuke versions to the latest available releases that contain security fixes for privilege escalation issues. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control measures including regular security audits of user permissions and role assignments to detect unauthorized modifications. Network segmentation and monitoring of authentication and authorization events can help detect suspicious activity related to role assignment modifications. The implementation of multi-factor authentication and strong session management controls can reduce the impact of potential exploitation attempts. Security practitioners should also consider applying web application firewalls and implementing proper input validation controls to prevent manipulation of user role assignment parameters. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities within the DotNetNuke environment, following ATT&CK framework principles for privilege escalation techniques and access control bypass methods. Organizations should maintain updated security configurations and ensure that all users have appropriate role assignments based on their legitimate business requirements rather than default permissions that might be exploitable.