CVE-2025-48202 is a medium severity vulnerability identified in the femanager extension for TYPO3, specifically affecting versions 5.5.0, 6.0.0, 7.0.0, and 8.0.0. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-425, which corresponds to Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR), also known as Direct Request or Forced Browsing. This type of vulnerability occurs when an application exposes internal implementation objects such as files, database records, or URLs without proper access control, allowing unauthorized users to access resources by manipulating request parameters. In this case, the femanager extension does not adequately restrict access to certain objects or resources, enabling an attacker to directly request and access data they should not be authorized to view. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N) reveals that the attack can be performed remotely over the network without any privileges or user interaction, and the impact is limited to confidentiality loss only, with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches are linked yet, suggesting that the vulnerability is newly disclosed or not yet widely exploited. TYPO3 is a widely used open-source content management system (CMS), and femanager is a popular extension used for frontend user management, including registration and profile editing. The vulnerability could allow attackers to access user data or other sensitive information managed by femanager, potentially leading to privacy violations or information leakage.

For European organizations using TYPO3 with the femanager extension, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized data disclosure. Since femanager handles user management, attackers exploiting this IDOR flaw could access personal data of registered users, which may include names, email addresses, and other profile information. This could lead to violations of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), resulting in legal and financial consequences. Although the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or system availability, the confidentiality breach alone can damage organizational reputation and trust. Public sector institutions, educational organizations, and businesses relying on TYPO3 for their websites or intranet portals are particularly at risk. The fact that no authentication or user interaction is required for exploitation increases the threat level, as attackers can automate scanning and exploitation remotely. However, the absence of known exploits in the wild and the medium CVSS score suggest that the threat is moderate but should be addressed promptly to prevent future abuse.

1. Immediate assessment and inventory: Organizations should identify all TYPO3 installations using the femanager extension, particularly versions 5.5.0 through 8.0.0. 2. Apply patches or updates: Although no patch links are currently provided, monitoring TYPO3 security advisories for an official fix is critical. Once available, apply updates promptly. 3. Implement access control checks: Review and harden access control mechanisms within femanager configurations and TYPO3 to ensure that direct object references are properly validated against user permissions. 4. Web application firewall (WAF): Deploy or update WAF rules to detect and block suspicious direct object reference attempts targeting femanager endpoints. 5. Logging and monitoring: Enable detailed logging of access to femanager resources and monitor for unusual or unauthorized access patterns. 6. Restrict exposure: If possible, limit public access to femanager functionalities or place them behind authentication gateways until patches are applied. 7. Conduct security testing: Perform penetration testing focusing on IDOR vulnerabilities in femanager and related TYPO3 components to identify and remediate similar issues. 8. User awareness and incident response: Prepare incident response plans for potential data breaches and educate administrators on the risks associated with this vulnerability.