CVE-2025-40650 is a high-severity Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability affecting all versions of the Clickedu platform, a widely used educational management system. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-639, which pertains to Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key. In this case, the flaw allows an attacker to manipulate user-controlled keys or identifiers to bypass authorization checks and access sensitive information that should be restricted. Specifically, an attacker exploiting this vulnerability can retrieve confidential student report card data without proper authentication or privileges. The CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.7 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, as it requires no authentication (AT:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality severely (VC:H), while integrity and availability are not affected (VI:N, VA:N). No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported as of the publication date, but the lack of authentication and ease of exploitation make this a significant risk. The vulnerability affects all versions of Clickedu, indicating a systemic authorization design flaw in the platform’s handling of user-controlled keys for accessing student data.

For European organizations, particularly educational institutions using Clickedu, this vulnerability poses a serious threat to the confidentiality of student data. Unauthorized access to student report cards can lead to privacy violations, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR), reputational damage, and potential legal consequences. The exposure of sensitive academic records undermines trust in educational institutions and can have downstream effects on students and their families. Since Clickedu is a popular platform in various European countries, exploitation could be widespread if attackers leverage this vulnerability. The lack of authentication and user interaction requirements means attackers can automate data harvesting at scale, increasing the risk of mass data breaches. Additionally, the vulnerability could be exploited by insiders or external threat actors aiming to gather intelligence or conduct targeted attacks against educational entities.

Given the absence of official patches, European organizations should implement compensating controls immediately. These include: 1) Restricting network access to Clickedu interfaces to trusted IP ranges and VPNs to reduce exposure to external attackers. 2) Implementing strict monitoring and anomaly detection on access logs to identify unusual access patterns or mass data retrieval attempts. 3) Applying web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block requests that manipulate object references or keys in URLs or parameters. 4) Conducting a thorough review of authorization logic within Clickedu deployments to identify and remediate insecure direct object references, potentially through custom development or vendor engagement. 5) Educating staff about the sensitivity of student data and enforcing least privilege principles for user accounts. 6) Preparing incident response plans specific to data breaches involving student information. Organizations should also maintain close communication with Clickedu for forthcoming patches or updates addressing this vulnerability.