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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2026-40498

FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox.

Published Apr 21, 2026 · catalog updated Jun 17, 2026 · FreeScout is a free

Check if you run it

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-40498. EPSS is 0.73%. Act only if a listed version of FreeScout is a free is installed.

Gaps on this record

  • The stored product name is a package slug. The name on this page is taken from the title (FreeScout is a free).
  • No version range is stored. A customer cannot check an installed version against this record.
  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
Severity
High8.9
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
0.73%
Remediation
Advisory link
Affected products
cpe freescout/freescout

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.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • cpe freescout/freescoutversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2026-40498

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-40498. EPSS is 0.73%. Act only if a listed version of FreeScout is a free is installed.

Which versions are affected?

Affected version ranges are not on this record. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information; CWE-284: Improper Access Control; CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling. EPSS 0.73%. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Apr 21, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Detected

    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 Dis

  2. Jun 17, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    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 Dis

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-40498

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2026-40498

    30-day exploitation probability 0.7%

    first.org
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2026-40498

    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,

    nvd.nist.gov

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 18, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.