CVE-2025-14206 identifies an improper authorization vulnerability in the SourceCodester Online Student Clearance System version 1.0. The flaw resides in the /Admin/delete-fee.php script within the Fee Table Handler component, where the ID parameter can be manipulated remotely to delete fee records without verifying the attacker's authorization. This lack of proper access control allows unauthenticated attackers to perform unauthorized deletions, compromising the integrity of student financial data. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, making exploitation relatively straightforward over the network. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P) reflects a network attack vector with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction needed, impacting both integrity and availability to a limited extent. Although no public exploits are currently known in the wild, the public disclosure of exploit details increases the risk of exploitation by threat actors. The vulnerability's impact is primarily on the integrity of fee records, potentially leading to financial discrepancies, administrative confusion, and reputational damage for educational institutions. Given the nature of the system, unauthorized deletions could disrupt student clearance processes, affecting enrollment, graduation, or financial auditing. The vulnerability highlights the importance of enforcing strict server-side authorization checks and input validation on critical administrative functions. Since no official patches have been linked, organizations must implement compensating controls such as restricting access to the affected endpoint and monitoring for suspicious activity until a vendor fix is available.

For European organizations, particularly educational institutions using the SourceCodester Online Student Clearance System or similar platforms, this vulnerability poses a risk to the integrity and availability of student financial data. Unauthorized deletion of fee records can lead to financial loss, administrative errors, and disruption of student clearance workflows, potentially delaying graduations or enrollment processes. The breach of data integrity may also undermine trust in institutional data management and expose organizations to compliance risks under data protection regulations such as GDPR if related personal or financial data is affected. The ease of exploitation without authentication increases the threat level, especially in environments where the system is exposed to the internet or insufficiently segmented networks. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate widespread impact, but the public disclosure may encourage attackers to develop exploits targeting vulnerable institutions. Additionally, reputational damage and operational disruptions could have cascading effects on institutional funding and stakeholder confidence.

1. Immediately restrict access to the /Admin/delete-fee.php endpoint by implementing network-level controls such as IP whitelisting or VPN-only access for administrative functions. 2. Implement strict server-side authorization checks to validate that the requesting user has the necessary permissions to delete fee records, ensuring that the ID parameter cannot be manipulated to affect unauthorized records. 3. Conduct a thorough code review and security audit of all administrative endpoints to identify and remediate similar improper authorization issues. 4. Monitor logs for unusual deletion requests or patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. 5. If possible, isolate the student clearance system within a segmented network zone with limited exposure to external networks. 6. Engage with the vendor or community to obtain patches or updates addressing this vulnerability as soon as they become available. 7. Educate administrative staff on the importance of secure credential management and recognizing suspicious system behavior. 8. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrative access to add an additional security layer, even though this vulnerability does not require authentication. 9. Backup fee records regularly and verify backup integrity to enable recovery in case of unauthorized deletions.