CVE-2026-40565

FreeScout has Stored XSS / CSS Injection via linkify() — Unescaped URL in Anchor href

Published Apr 21, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 6.1 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, FreeScout's linkify() function in app/Misc/Helper.php converts plain-text URLs in email bodies into HTML anchor tags without escaping double-quote characters (") in the URL. HTMLPurifier (called first via getCleanBody()) preserves literal " characters in text nodes. linkify() then wraps URLs including those " chars inside an unescaped href="..." attribute, breaking out of the href and injecting arbitrary HTML attributes. Version 1.8.213 fixes the issue.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Freescout
Freescout freescout
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:freescout:freescout:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Freescout
Freescout freescout
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Freescout Helpdesk
Freescout Helpdesk freescout
Vendors & Products Freescout Helpdesk
Freescout Helpdesk freescout
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, FreeScout's linkify() function in app/Misc/Helper.php converts plain-text URLs in email bodies into HTML anchor tags without escaping double-quote characters (") in the URL. HTMLPurifier (called first via getCleanBody()) preserves literal " characters in text nodes. linkify() then wraps URLs including those " chars inside an unescaped href="..." attribute, breaking out of the href and injecting arbitrary HTML attributes. Version 1.8.213 fixes the issue.
Title FreeScout has Stored XSS / CSS Injection via linkify() — Unescaped URL in Anchor href
Weaknesses CWE-79
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 6.1, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
Apr 21, 2026, 7:48 PM
Reserved
Apr 14, 2026, 1:24 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Apr 21, 2026, 4:16 PM
Modified
Nov 11, 2026, 11:10 PM