CVE-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, 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 .
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'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
- Versión: 4.0
- Vector: 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
- Puntuación base: 8.9
Probabilidad de explotación (EPSS)
- Probabilidad de explotación en los próximos 30 días: 0.73%
- Percentil entre todas las CVEs puntuadas: 53
- Fecha de la puntuación: 6/10/2026
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, de FIRST) estima la probabilidad de que una vulnerabilidad sea explotada en 30 días. Complementa a CVSS (impacto) y a CISA KEV (explotación confirmada).
🎯 Técnicas ATT&CK
Cómo se explota esta vulnerabilidad y qué consigue el atacante, en el lenguaje de MITRE ATT&CK.
- Explotación
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Applicationinitial access95 % - Impacto principal
T1005Data from Local Systemcollection90 % - Impacto secundario
T1499.004Application or System Exploitationimpact85 % - Impacto secundario
T1552.001Credentials In Filescredential access88 %
Acceso no autenticado a endpoints protegidos (AV:N, PR:N, UI:N) exponiendo información sensible del servidor (CWE-200). Endpoints sin rate limiting permiten DoS y exfiltración de APP_KEY via logs.
Inferido por nuestro agente de análisis a partir de la descripción oficial, el vector CVSS y la CWE, y comprobado por un supervisor. Puede contener errores.
🛡️ Mitigaciones ATT&CK que cubren estas técnicas
Tecnologías afectadas (1)
CWE
- CWE-200, CWE-284, CWE-770
Referencias
- https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/commit/b1d6c2c601a6ec3626ab13e679607b5084dfbd38
- https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/releases/tag/1.8.213
- https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-5jw5-q9j7-4rxc
- https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-5jw5-q9j7-4rxc
JSON original (NVD)
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"lastModified": "2026-06-17T10:45:23.217",
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