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HomeHomeUsing DNN Platf...Using DNN Platf...Administration ...Administration ...security problem with <pages validateRequest="true" in web.configsecurity problem with <pages validateRequest="true" in web.config
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5/30/2013 5:21 AM
 
When I set <pages validateRequest="true" in web.config , I can't update content in admin mode and in modules. What is the normal solution for that?

If I set validateRequest="false" it is  a security problem, so... 

 
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5/31/2013 6:16 PM
 
IF you set validateRequest to true, then you essentially downgrading your site to a readonly site. Let me explain: if you allow HTML editing to happen on your site (which is an important feature of DotNetNuke), then RequestValidation will actually prevent you from doing so. Many security scanners that have no deep knowledge of the platform they are scanning will flag this as a security issue. Which is true to a point. Allowing someone to log on to your site, and edit content, is a security issue in itself. DotNetNuke has its own methods to make sure that content is validated and properly filtered where necessary. The setting validateRequest="false" is not supported

Erik van Ballegoij, Former DNN Corp. Employee and DNN Expert

DNN Blog | Twitter: @erikvb | LinkedIn: Erik van Ballegoij on LinkedIn

 
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6/2/2013 2:07 AM
 

Hi, thanks for the answer.

Still I'm vulnerable to XSS attacks on some pages when  <pages validateRequest="false" is set to false, based on McAfee tests (I use Server.Encode where appropriate..)

 
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6/3/2013 5:41 PM
 
the macafee tests are generic and do not understand the application. You are safe, it is a false positive.

If you are still uncertain, please send a mail to security@dotnetnuke.com for a more in depth explanation from our security team

Erik van Ballegoij, Former DNN Corp. Employee and DNN Expert

DNN Blog | Twitter: @erikvb | LinkedIn: Erik van Ballegoij on LinkedIn

 
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8/29/2016 12:32 PM
 
More explanation:

HTTP request validation in ASP.NET is used to make sure that the user entered/selected values of the page controls sent to with the page callbacks are valid values that are not tampered with according to the validation rules set in the code behind and in the ASP.NET itself. For example, when you have a drop-down list control with 3 values, say “Low, Medium, and High”, and the post back sets the value for this control to some other value, say “Critical” that is not in the original list, then the validation check will fail this post back. This was made mainly during the old days when the controls were [always] static. But in today’s dynamic nature of web applications, there are lots of controls that are changed (or even added) dynamically though JavaScript (using jQuery or any other framework). When these control are manipulated this way, the ASP.NET back-end validation will fail most of the times and this will render the application unusable. Hence, we must disable ASP.NET built-in validation (partially) and rely on other methods to offset this. DNN sites use Anti-Forgery Token to prevent XSS for AJAX posts and post-back requests which will keep the site secure from XSS attacks even while setting
 
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HomeHomeUsing DNN Platf...Using DNN Platf...Administration ...Administration ...security problem with <pages validateRequest="true" in web.configsecurity problem with <pages validateRequest="true" in web.config


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