CVE-2026-40568
Published:April 21, 2026
Updated:April 23, 2026
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions prior to 1.8.213 have a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the mailbox signature feature. The sanitization function "Helper::stripDangerousTags()" ("app/Misc/Helper.php:568") uses an incomplete blocklist of only four HTML tags ("script", "form", "iframe", "object") and does not remove event handler attributes. When a mailbox signature is saved via "MailboxesController::updateSave()" ("app/Http/Controllers/MailboxesController.php:267"), HTML elements such as "<img>", "<svg>", and "<details>" with event handler attributes like "onerror" and "onload" pass through sanitization unchanged and are stored in the database. The signature is then rendered as raw HTML via the Blade "{!! !!}" tag in "editor_bottom_toolbar.blade.php:6" and re-inserted into the visible DOM by jQuery ".html()" at "main.js:1789-1790", triggering the injected event handlers. Any authenticated user with the "ACCESS_PERM_SIGNATURE" ("sig") permission on a mailbox -- a delegatable, non-admin permission -- can inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript into the mailbox signature. The payload fires automatically, with no victim interaction, whenever any agent or administrator opens any conversation in the affected mailbox. This enables session hijacking (under CSP bypass conditions such as IE11 or module-weakened CSP), phishing overlays that work in all browsers regardless of CSP, and chaining to admin-level actions including email exfiltration via mass assignment and self-propagating worm behavior across all mailboxes. Version 1.8.213 fixes the issue.
Affected Packages
https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=1.0.0 <1.8.213Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 1.8.213Related Resources (3)
Do you need more information?
Contact UsCVSS v4
Base Score:
8.4
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Attack Complexity
LOW
Attack Requirements
NONE
Privileges Required
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Vulnerable System Confidentiality
HIGH
Vulnerable System Integrity
LOW
Vulnerable System Availability
NONE
Subsequent System Confidentiality
HIGH
Subsequent System Integrity
LOW
Subsequent System Availability
NONE
CVSS v3
Base Score:
8.5
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Attack Complexity
LOW
Privileges Required
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
CHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
LOW
Availability
NONE