Skip to content

DNN allows loading unused themes on anonymous clients through query parameters

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Sep 22, 2025 in dnnsoftware/Dnn.Platform • Updated Sep 22, 2025

Package

nuget DotNetNuke.Core (NuGet)

Affected versions

< 10.1.0

Patched versions

10.1.0

Description

Summary

Arbitrary themes can be loaded through query parameters. If an installed theme had a vulnerability, even if it was not used on any page, this could be loaded on unsuspecting clients without knowledge of the site owner.

Details

Many people who run DNN sites have a number of installed themes that they do not actually use. This could be because they were testing many themes during initial setup, because they have changed themes over time, or because they have development and production versions of a theme. Whatever the reason, many times the unused themes will become outdated over time as site admins wouldn't have reason to update something that is not used. However, this could introduce an entry point to exploit a vulnerable theme by making the server run the unused theme for unsuspecting client requests. Depending on the vulnerability in a theme, this could lead to server side or client side arbitrary code execution. With DNN 10.1.0 this functionality is now disabled by default but a setting was introduced in the Security module to turn activate the functionality.

References

@valadas valadas published to dnnsoftware/Dnn.Platform Sep 22, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Sep 22, 2025
Reviewed Sep 22, 2025
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Sep 22, 2025
Last updated Sep 22, 2025

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(17th percentile)

Weaknesses

Improper Input Validation

The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. Learn more on MITRE.

Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere

The product imports, requires, or includes executable functionality (such as a library) from a source that is outside of the intended control sphere. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2025-59535

GHSA ID

GHSA-wq2j-w9pm-7x2p

Credits

Loading Checking history
See something to contribute? Suggest improvements for this vulnerability.