SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
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Case File

CVE-2026-40498

CRITICAL · CVSS 9.8 EPSS 0.57% Public Exploit

Source: NVD + CISA KEV + EPSS (historical backfill) · Published 2026-04-21 · Last synced 2026-08-04

CyberRota Analysis

This is a critical severity vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8. Public exploit code or proof-of-concept references have been detected in its references. Exploitation may require the attacker to be authenticated.

Public Exploit Signal

A public exploit, PoC, GitHub repository or Metasploit reference was detected for this CVE.

Note: these links are listed for security research and verification purposes only.

CVE
CVE-2026-40498
Severity
CRITICAL
CVSS
9.8
EPSS
0.57%

Original NVD 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.

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