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.
Advisories
No advisories yet.
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:15:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| First Time appeared |
Freescout Helpdesk
Freescout Helpdesk freescout |
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| Vendors & Products |
Freescout Helpdesk
Freescout Helpdesk freescout |
Tue, 21 Apr 2026 15:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | |
| Title | FreeScout has Authentication Bypass and Information Disclosure in SystemController via /system/cron | |
| Weaknesses | CWE-200 CWE-284 CWE-770 |
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| References |
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| Metrics |
cvssV4_0
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Projects
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Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: GitHub_M
Published:
Updated: 2026-04-21T19:20:23.159Z
Reserved: 2026-04-13T19:50:42.115Z
Link: CVE-2026-40498
No data.
Status : Awaiting Analysis
Published: 2026-04-21T16:16:20.240
Modified: 2026-04-21T16:20:24.180
Link: CVE-2026-40498
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-04-21T17:00:11Z