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.
History

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Freescout
Freescout freescout
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:freescout:freescout:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Freescout
Freescout freescout

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

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


Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Freescout Helpdesk
Freescout Helpdesk freescout
Vendors & Products Freescout Helpdesk
Freescout Helpdesk freescout

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, 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'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published: 2026-04-21T15:52:39.118Z

Updated: 2026-04-21T19:48:40.654Z

Reserved: 2026-04-14T13:24:29.473Z

Link: CVE-2026-40565

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-04-21T17:41:10.975Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2026-04-21T16:16:20.390

Modified: 2026-04-22T17:34:32.643

Link: CVE-2026-40565

cve-icon Redhat

No data.