CVE-2025-49918 is a vulnerability identified in the VikBooking Hotel Booking Engine & PMS, a software solution widely used in the hospitality industry for managing hotel bookings and property management. The vulnerability allows for the insertion and subsequent retrieval of sensitive information within the data sent by the system. Specifically, the flaw enables unauthorized actors to access embedded sensitive data that should normally be protected during transmission. The affected versions include all releases up to and including version 1.8.2. The vulnerability does not require authentication, meaning attackers can exploit it without valid credentials, increasing the risk of data exposure. Although no public exploits have been reported to date, the nature of the vulnerability suggests that attackers could intercept or manipulate data flows to extract confidential information such as customer personal details, payment information, or booking records. This could lead to breaches of confidentiality and integrity, undermining trust in the affected systems. The lack of a CVSS score indicates the need for an expert severity assessment, which considers the potential impact on confidentiality, ease of exploitation, and scope of affected systems. The vulnerability was reserved in June 2025 and published in December 2025, with no official patches currently linked, highlighting the urgency for affected organizations to monitor vendor communications and prepare for remediation.

For European organizations, particularly those in the hospitality sector using VikBooking Hotel Booking Engine & PMS, this vulnerability poses significant risks. The exposure of sensitive customer data can lead to violations of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), resulting in substantial fines and legal consequences. Confidentiality breaches may damage customer trust and brand reputation, potentially reducing business revenue. Integrity issues could disrupt booking accuracy, causing operational challenges and customer dissatisfaction. The hospitality industry is a frequent target for cybercriminals due to the volume of personal and payment data processed, making this vulnerability attractive for exploitation. Additionally, the potential for data leakage could facilitate further attacks such as identity theft, fraud, or targeted phishing campaigns against customers or hotel staff. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the ease of exploitation and unauthenticated access elevate the threat level. Organizations may also face increased scrutiny from regulators and customers regarding their cybersecurity posture.

Organizations should immediately inventory their VikBooking installations to identify affected versions (<=1.8.2). Until official patches are released, implement network-level protections such as strict firewall rules to limit access to the booking engine from untrusted networks. Employ encryption for all data in transit to reduce the risk of interception. Conduct thorough logging and monitoring of data flows to detect unusual access patterns or data exfiltration attempts. Restrict access to sensitive data on a need-to-know basis and enforce strong authentication and authorization controls around the booking system interfaces. Engage with the vendor or Patchstack for updates on patches or workarounds and apply them promptly once available. Consider isolating the booking engine within a segmented network zone to minimize lateral movement in case of compromise. Regularly train staff on data protection best practices and incident response procedures tailored to hospitality environments. Finally, review and update incident response plans to address potential data breaches stemming from this vulnerability.