CVE-2025-60782 identifies a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in PHP Education Manager version 1.0, specifically within the topics management module (topics.php). The vulnerability arises because the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user input in the Title field during topic creation or updates. This allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript payloads that are persistently stored on the server and subsequently executed in the browsers of users who view the affected topic pages. Stored XSS is particularly dangerous because it can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, defacement, or the delivery of further malware without requiring the victim to take any action beyond viewing the compromised content. The vulnerability does not have a CVSS score assigned yet, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. However, the presence of stored XSS in an educational management system is concerning due to the sensitive nature of the user base, which may include students, educators, and administrators. The lack of patch links suggests that a fix has not yet been publicly released, increasing the risk for organizations still using this software version. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability remotely without authentication if the topic creation or update functionality is accessible to unauthenticated users or with low privilege accounts, which is common in collaborative educational platforms.

For European organizations, especially educational institutions using PHP Education Manager v1.0, this vulnerability could lead to significant confidentiality and integrity breaches. Malicious scripts injected via the stored XSS could steal session cookies or credentials of educators and students, potentially exposing personal data protected under GDPR. It could also allow attackers to manipulate displayed content, undermining trust in the educational platform and disrupting learning activities. Furthermore, if administrative users are targeted, attackers might escalate privileges or pivot to other internal systems. The impact extends beyond data theft to reputational damage and possible regulatory penalties for failing to protect user data. Given the collaborative nature of educational environments, the scope of affected users could be broad, increasing the potential for widespread disruption.

Organizations should immediately audit their use of PHP Education Manager v1.0 and restrict access to the topics management module to trusted users only. Input validation and output encoding must be implemented rigorously on the Title field to neutralize malicious scripts. Until an official patch is released, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block typical XSS payloads targeting the topics.php endpoint is recommended. Additionally, security teams should conduct regular scanning for stored XSS vulnerabilities using automated tools and manual testing. User education about phishing and suspicious links can reduce the impact of potential exploitation. Monitoring logs for unusual activity around topic creation or updates can help detect exploitation attempts early. Finally, organizations should plan to upgrade or patch the software promptly once a fix becomes available.