CVE-2025-60220 is an Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability identified in the pebas CouponXxL software, a coupon management system widely used in retail and e-commerce environments. The flaw exists in versions up to and including 3.0.0 and allows an unauthenticated attacker to escalate privileges remotely without any user interaction. The vulnerability arises from improper assignment or enforcement of user privileges within the application, enabling attackers to gain unauthorized administrative or elevated access. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, with attack vector being network-based (AV:N), requiring no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). This means an attacker can fully compromise the system remotely, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized modifications, or service disruptions. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability’s characteristics make it a prime target for attackers once exploit code becomes available. The lack of available patches at the time of disclosure increases the urgency for organizations to implement interim mitigations. The vulnerability’s presence in a coupon management system suggests potential impacts on customer data, promotional integrity, and transactional processes within affected organizations.

For European organizations, especially those in retail, e-commerce, and marketing sectors that utilize CouponXxL, this vulnerability poses a severe threat. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, manipulation of coupon codes or promotional offers, and disruption of business operations. The full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability could result in financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties under GDPR due to data breaches. Additionally, attackers could leverage escalated privileges to move laterally within networks, potentially compromising other critical systems. The risk is heightened in organizations with internet-facing CouponXxL deployments or insufficient network segmentation. Given the critical severity and ease of exploitation, the potential impact on European businesses is substantial, affecting customer trust and operational continuity.

Until an official patch is released by pebas, European organizations should implement strict network-level access controls to limit exposure of CouponXxL instances to trusted internal networks only. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious privilege escalation attempts. Conduct thorough audits of user privilege assignments within CouponXxL to identify and remediate any misconfigurations. Monitor logs for unusual access patterns or privilege changes. Segregate CouponXxL servers from other critical infrastructure to contain potential breaches. Prepare incident response plans specifically addressing privilege escalation scenarios. Once patches become available, prioritize immediate deployment after testing in controlled environments. Engage with pebas support channels for updates and advisories. Additionally, consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) on administrative interfaces if supported, to add an extra layer of defense.