The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-56254 affects the PHPGurukul Employee Leave Management System version 2.1. It is classified as an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability located in the leave-details.php script. This vulnerability allows an authenticated user to manipulate the 'leaveid' parameter in the URL to access leave application details belonging to other users. Essentially, the application fails to properly enforce access controls on the leaveid parameter, enabling unauthorized disclosure of sensitive employee leave data. Since the vulnerability requires authentication, an attacker must have valid credentials to exploit it, but once authenticated, they can escalate their access privileges horizontally by viewing or potentially modifying other employees' leave records. The lack of a CVSS score indicates that this vulnerability has not yet been fully assessed for severity, and no public exploits are currently known. However, the nature of the vulnerability suggests a significant risk to confidentiality within affected systems. The vulnerability is specific to a particular version of a niche employee leave management system, which may limit its widespread impact but still poses a serious risk to organizations using this software without proper access control mechanisms.

For European organizations using PHPGurukul Employee Leave Management System 2.1, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive employee information, including leave schedules, reasons for leave, and potentially other personal data stored within the leave application records. Such data exposure could violate privacy regulations such as the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), leading to legal and financial repercussions. Additionally, unauthorized access to leave data could be leveraged for social engineering attacks or internal espionage. The breach of confidentiality could undermine employee trust and damage organizational reputation. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact system availability or integrity, the unauthorized data access risk is significant, especially in sectors with strict compliance requirements or where employee privacy is paramount. The requirement for authentication limits exploitation to insiders or compromised accounts, but insider threats or credential theft remain realistic attack vectors.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement strict access control checks on the server side to ensure that users can only access leave records associated with their own accounts. This includes validating the 'leaveid' parameter against the authenticated user's identity before returning any data. Applying the principle of least privilege and role-based access controls can further restrict data exposure. If possible, upgrade to a patched version of the software once available or contact the vendor for security updates. In the interim, monitor logs for unusual access patterns or repeated attempts to access unauthorized leave records. Employ multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on access control mechanisms. Additionally, educate employees about the risks of credential sharing and phishing attacks to minimize insider threat risks.