CVE-2026-40498

HIGH EPSS 42.9%
Published Apr 21, 20262mo ago · Modified Jun 17, 20261w ago
8.9 CVSS 4.0
High
Find Similar
Published Apr 21, 2026 2mo ago
Last Modified Jun 17, 2026 1w ago

Description

FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, an unauthenticated attacker can access diagnostic and system tools that should be restricted to administrators. The /system/cron endpoint relies on a static MD5 hash derived from the APP_KEY, which is exposed in the response and logs. Accessing these endpoints reveals sensitive server information (Full Path Disclosure), process IDs, and allows for Resource Exhaustion (DoS) by triggering heavy background tasks repeatedly without any rate limiting. The cron hash is generated using md5(APP_KEY . 'web_cron_hash'). Since this hash is often transmitted via GET requests, it is susceptible to exposure in server logs, browser history, and proxy logs. Furthermore, the lack of rate limiting on these endpoints allows for automated resource exhaustion (DoS) and brute-force attempts. Version 1.8.213 fixes the issue.

CVSS Details

Base Score
8.9
Exploitability
—
Impact
—
Vector string
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
Attack Vector Network
Attack Complexity Low
Privileges Required None
User Interaction None
Scope X

Threat Intelligence

EPSS Exploit Probability
42.9% percentile
Exploit & Patch Status
Public Exploit Known
Patch Available

Weaknesses 3

CWE-200 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Information Exposure
CWE-284
CWE-770

Affected Products 1

VendorProductVersionRange
freescoutfreescout* <1.8.213

References 3

  • github.com https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/commit/b1d6c2c601a6ec3626ab13e679607b5084dfbd38
    Patch
  • github.com https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/releases/tag/1.8.213
    Release Notes
  • github.com https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-5jw5-q9j7-4rxc
    ExploitVendor Advisory

Remediation

  • github.com https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/commit/b1d6c2c601a6ec3626ab13e679607b5084dfbd38
    Patch