CVE-2026-40566
FreeScout vulnerable to SSRF via IMAP/SMTP Connection Test Endpoints
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions prior to 1.8.213 have a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the IMAP/SMTP connection test functionality of FreeScout's MailboxesController. Three AJAX actions fetch_test (line 731), send_test (line 682), and imap_folders (line 773) in app/Http/Controllers/MailboxesController.php pass admin-configured in_server/in_port and out_server/out_port values directly to fsockopen() via Helper::checkPort() and to IMAP/SMTP client connections with zero SSRF protection. There is no IP validation, no hostname restriction, no blocklist of internal ranges, and no call to the project's own sanitizeRemoteUrl() or checkUrlIpAndHost() functions. The validation block in connectionIncomingSave() is entirely commented out. An authenticated admin can configure a mailbox's IMAP or SMTP server to point at any internal host and port, then trigger a connection test. The server opens raw TCP connections (via fsockopen()) and protocol-level connections (via IMAP client or SMTP transport) to the attacker-specified target. The response differentiates open from closed ports, enabling internal network port scanning. When the IMAP client connects to a non-IMAP service, the target's service banner or error response is captured in the IMAP debug log and returned in the AJAX response's log field, making this a semi-blind SSRF that enables service fingerprinting. In cloud environments, the metadata endpoint at 169[.]254[.]169[.]254 can be probed and partial response data may be leaked through protocol error messages. This is distinct from the sanitizeRemoteUrl() redirect bypass (freescout-3) -- different code path, different root cause, different protocol layer. Version 1.8.213 patches the vulnerability.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.1
FreeScout vulnerable to SSRF via IMAP/SMTP Connection Test Endpoints
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions prior to 1.8.213 have a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the IMAP/SMTP connection test functionality of FreeScout's MailboxesController. Three AJAX actions fetch_test (line 731), send_test (line 682), and imap_folders (line 773) in app/Http/Controllers/MailboxesController.php pass admin-configured in_server/in_port and out_server/out_port values directly to fsockopen() via Helper::checkPort() and to IMAP/SMTP client connections with zero SSRF protection. There is no IP validation, no hostname restriction, no blocklist of internal ranges, and no call to the project's own sanitizeRemoteUrl() or checkUrlIpAndHost() functions. The validation block in connectionIncomingSave() is entirely commented out. An authenticated admin can configure a mailbox's IMAP or SMTP server to point at any internal host and port, then trigger a connection test. The server opens raw TCP connections (via fsockopen()) and protocol-level connections (via IMAP client or SMTP transport) to the attacker-specified target. The response differentiates open from closed ports, enabling internal network port scanning. When the IMAP client connects to a non-IMAP service, the target's service banner or error response is captured in the IMAP debug log and returned in the AJAX response's log field, making this a semi-blind SSRF that enables service fingerprinting. In cloud environments, the metadata endpoint at 169[.]254[.]169[.]254 can be probed and partial response data may be leaked through protocol error messages. This is distinct from the sanitizeRemoteUrl() redirect bypass (freescout-3) -- different code path, different root cause, different protocol layer. Version 1.8.213 patches the vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2026-40566- CVSS 3.1
- 4.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-918
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-24167
4.1
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions prior to 1.8.213 have a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the IMAP/SMTP connection test functionality of FreeScout's MailboxesController. Three AJAX actions fetch_test (line 731), send_test (line 682), and imap_folders (line 773) in app/Http/Controllers/MailboxesController.php pass admin-configured in_server/in_port and out_server/out_port values directly to fsockopen() via Helper::checkPort() and to IMAP/SMTP client connections with zero SSRF protection. There is no IP validation, no hostname restriction, no blocklist of internal ranges, and no call to the project's own sanitizeRemoteUrl() or checkUrlIpAndHost() functions. The validation block in connectionIncomingSave() is entirely commented out. An authenticated admin can configure a mailbox's IMAP or SMTP server to point at any internal host and port, then trigger a connection test. The server opens raw TCP connections (via fsockopen()) and protocol-level connections (via IMAP client or SMTP transport) to the attacker-specified target. The response differentiates open from closed ports, enabling internal network port scanning. When the IMAP client connects to a non-IMAP service, the target's service banner or error response is captured in the IMAP debug log and returned in the AJAX response's log field, making this a semi-blind SSRF that enables service fingerprinting. In cloud environments, the metadata endpoint at 169[.]254[.]169[.]254 can be probed and partial response data may be leaked through protocol error messages. This is distinct from the sanitizeRemoteUrl() redirect bypass (freescout-3) -- different code path, different root cause, different protocol layer. Version 1.8.213 patches the vulnerability.
- Record
EUVD-2026-24167- CVSS 3.1
- 4.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
4.1
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions prior to 1.8.213 have a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the IMAP/SMTP connection test functionality of FreeScout's MailboxesController. Three AJAX actions fetch_test (line 731), send_test (line 682), and imap_folders (line 773) in app/Http/Controllers/MailboxesController.php pass admin-configured in_server/in_port and out_server/out_port values directly to fsockopen() via Helper::checkPort() and to IMAP/SMTP client connections with zero SSRF protection. There is no IP validation, no hostname restriction, no blocklist of internal ranges, and no call to the project's own sanitizeRemoteUrl() or checkUrlIpAndHost() functions. The validation block in connectionIncomingSave() is entirely commented out. An authenticated admin can configure a mailbox's IMAP or SMTP server to point at any internal host and port, then trigger a connection test. The server opens raw TCP connections (via fsockopen()) and protocol-level connections (via IMAP client or SMTP transport) to the attacker-specified target. The response differentiates open from closed ports, enabling internal network port scanning. When the IMAP client connects to a non-IMAP service, the target's service banner or error response is captured in the IMAP debug log and returned in the AJAX response's log field, making this a semi-blind SSRF that enables service fingerprinting. In cloud environments, the metadata endpoint at 169[.]254[.]169[.]254 can be probed and partial response data may be leaked through protocol error messages. This is distinct from the sanitizeRemoteUrl() redirect bypass (freescout-3) -- different code path, different root cause, different protocol layer. Version 1.8.213 patches the vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2026-40566- CVSS 3.1
- 4.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-918
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
4.1
FreeScout vulnerable to SSRF via IMAP/SMTP Connection Test Endpoints
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions prior to 1.8.213 have a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the IMAP/SMTP connection test functionality of FreeScout's MailboxesController. Three AJAX actions fetch_test (line 731), send_test (line 682), and imap_folders (line 773) in app/Http/Controllers/MailboxesController.php pass admin-configured in_server/in_port and out_server/out_port values directly to fsockopen() via Helper::checkPort() and to IMAP/SMTP client connections with zero SSRF protection. There is no IP validation, no hostname restriction, no blocklist of internal ranges, and no call to the project's own sanitizeRemoteUrl() or checkUrlIpAndHost() functions. The validation block in connectionIncomingSave() is entirely commented out. An authenticated admin can configure a mailbox's IMAP or SMTP server to point at any internal host and port, then trigger a connection test. The server opens raw TCP connections (via fsockopen()) and protocol-level connections (via IMAP client or SMTP transport) to the attacker-specified target. The response differentiates open from closed ports, enabling internal network port scanning. When the IMAP client connects to a non-IMAP service, the target's service banner or error response is captured in the IMAP debug log and returned in the AJAX response's log field, making this a semi-blind SSRF that enables service fingerprinting. In cloud environments, the metadata endpoint at 169[.]254[.]169[.]254 can be probed and partial response data may be leaked through protocol error messages. This is distinct from the sanitizeRemoteUrl() redirect bypass (freescout-3) -- different code path, different root cause, different protocol layer. Version 1.8.213 patches the vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2026-40566- CVSS 3.1
- 4.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-918
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-40566 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.1) in Freescout-help-desk Freescout, published April 21, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.29%, the 21st percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-fg98-rgx6-8x4g
github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/commit/efe82e31b4a0d4c0b20025d09df0615e8139ff08
github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/releases/tag/1.8.213
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/40xxx/CVE-2026-40566.json
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40566