CVE-2025-44040 is a high-severity privilege escalation vulnerability identified in OrangeHRM version 5.7. The vulnerability arises from a flaw in the UserService.php component, specifically within the checkFOrOldHash function. This function is presumably responsible for verifying user credentials or password hashes, and the flaw allows an attacker with some level of existing privileges (as indicated by the CVSS vector requiring PR:H - high privileges) to escalate their privileges further. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-269, which relates to improper privilege management, indicating that the application fails to correctly enforce access controls or privilege boundaries. The CVSS score of 7.2 reflects a significant risk, with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and an attack vector that is network-based (AV:N), requiring no user interaction (UI:N). Although the attacker must already have high privileges, the escalation can lead to full control or administrative access, potentially compromising sensitive HR data, user accounts, and system configurations. No patches or known exploits in the wild have been reported as of the publication date (May 21, 2025), but the vulnerability's presence in a widely used HR management system makes it a critical issue to address promptly.

For European organizations using OrangeHRM 5.7, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality and integrity of employee data, including personal identifiable information (PII), payroll details, and organizational HR policies. Successful exploitation could allow malicious insiders or attackers who have gained limited access to escalate privileges and gain administrative control over the HR system. This could lead to unauthorized data disclosure, manipulation of employee records, disruption of HR operations, and potential compliance violations under GDPR and other data protection regulations. The availability of the HR system could also be impacted if attackers modify or delete critical data. Given the central role of HR systems in organizational operations, exploitation could have cascading effects on business continuity and trust. The lack of known exploits currently provides a window for mitigation, but the network-based attack vector means remote exploitation is feasible, increasing the urgency for European entities to act.

European organizations should immediately audit their OrangeHRM deployments to identify if version 5.7 is in use. Until an official patch is released, organizations should implement strict network segmentation to limit access to the HR management system only to trusted internal users and systems. Employing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all HR system accounts can reduce the risk of initial privilege compromise. Monitoring and logging of user activities within OrangeHRM should be enhanced to detect unusual privilege escalations or access patterns. Organizations should also review and tighten role-based access controls (RBAC) to minimize the number of users with high privileges. If possible, temporarily restrict or disable the vulnerable functionality related to the checkFOrOldHash function, or apply custom code fixes after thorough testing. Regular backups of HR data should be maintained to enable recovery in case of data tampering or loss. Finally, organizations should stay alert for official patches or advisories from OrangeHRM and apply updates promptly once available.