CVE-2026-40497
FreeScout Vulnerable to CSS Injection via Stored Style Tag in Mailbox Signature (CSRF Token Exfiltration)
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, FreeScout's Helper::stripDangerousTags() removes <script>, <form>, <iframe>, <object> but does NOT strip <style> tags. The mailbox signature field is saved via POST /mailbox/settings/{id} and later rendered unescaped via {!! $conversation->getSignatureProcessed([], true) !!} in conversation views. CSP allows style-src * 'self' 'unsafe-inline', so injected inline styles execute freely. An attacker with access to mailbox settings (admin or agent with mailbox permission) can inject CSS attribute selectors to exfiltrate the CSRF token of any agent/admin who views a conversation in that mailbox. With the CSRF token, the attacker can perform any state-changing action as the victim (create admin accounts, change email/password, etc.) — privilege escalation from agent to admin. This is the result of an incomplete fix of GHSA-jqjf-f566-485j. That advisory reported XSS via mailbox signature. The fix applied Helper::stripDangerousTags() to the signature before saving. However, stripDangerousTags() only removes script, form, iframe, and object tags — it does NOT strip <style> tags, leaving CSS injection possible. Version 1.8.213 contains an updated fix.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
8.1
FreeScout Vulnerable to CSS Injection via Stored Style Tag in Mailbox Signature (CSRF Token Exfiltration)
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, FreeScout's Helper::stripDangerousTags() removes <script>, <form>, <iframe>, <object> but does NOT strip <style> tags. The mailbox signature field is saved via POST /mailbox/settings/{id} and later rendered unescaped via {!! $conversation->getSignatureProcessed([], true) !!} in conversation views. CSP allows style-src * 'self' 'unsafe-inline', so injected inline styles execute freely. An attacker with access to mailbox settings (admin or agent with mailbox permission) can inject CSS attribute selectors to exfiltrate the CSRF token of any agent/admin who views a conversation in that mailbox. With the CSRF token, the attacker can perform any state-changing action as the victim (create admin accounts, change email/password, etc.) — privilege escalation from agent to admin. This is the result of an incomplete fix of GHSA-jqjf-f566-485j. That advisory reported XSS via mailbox signature. The fix applied Helper::stripDangerousTags() to the signature before saving. However, stripDangerousTags() only removes script, form, iframe, and object tags — it does NOT strip <style> tags, leaving CSS injection possible. Version 1.8.213 contains an updated fix.
- Record
CVE-2026-40497- CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-24052
8.1
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, FreeScout's Helper::stripDangerousTags() removes <script>, <form>, <iframe>, <object> but does NOT strip <style> tags. The mailbox signature field is saved via POST /mailbox/settings/{id} and later rendered unescaped via {!! $conversation->getSignatureProcessed([], true) !!} in conversation views. CSP allows style-src * 'self' 'unsafe-inline', so injected inline styles execute freely. An attacker with access to mailbox settings (admin or agent with mailbox permission) can inject CSS attribute selectors to exfiltrate the CSRF token of any agent/admin who views a conversation in that mailbox. With the CSRF token, the attacker can perform any state-changing action as the victim (create admin accounts, change email/password, etc.) — privilege escalation from agent to admin. This is the result of an incomplete fix of GHSA-jqjf-f566-485j. That advisory reported XSS via mailbox signature. The fix applied Helper::stripDangerousTags() to the signature before saving. However, stripDangerousTags() only removes script, form, iframe, and object tags — it does NOT strip <style> tags, leaving CSS injection possible. Version 1.8.213 contains an updated fix.
- Record
EUVD-2026-24052- CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
8.1
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, FreeScout's Helper::stripDangerousTags() removes <script>, <form>, <iframe>, <object> but does NOT strip <style> tags. The mailbox signature field is saved via POST /mailbox/settings/{id} and later rendered unescaped via {!! $conversation->getSignatureProcessed([], true) !!} in conversation views. CSP allows style-src * 'self' 'unsafe-inline', so injected inline styles execute freely. An attacker with access to mailbox settings (admin or agent with mailbox permission) can inject CSS attribute selectors to exfiltrate the CSRF token of any agent/admin who views a conversation in that mailbox. With the CSRF token, the attacker can perform any state-changing action as the victim (create admin accounts, change email/password, etc.) — privilege escalation from agent to admin. This is the result of an incomplete fix of GHSA-jqjf-f566-485j. That advisory reported XSS via mailbox signature. The fix applied Helper::stripDangerousTags() to the signature before saving. However, stripDangerousTags() only removes script, form, iframe, and object tags — it does NOT strip <style> tags, leaving CSS injection possible. Version 1.8.213 contains an updated fix.
- Record
CVE-2026-40497- CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
8.1
FreeScout Vulnerable to CSS Injection via Stored Style Tag in Mailbox Signature (CSRF Token Exfiltration)
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, FreeScout's Helper::stripDangerousTags() removes <script>, <form>, <iframe>, <object> but does NOT strip <style> tags. The mailbox signature field is saved via POST /mailbox/settings/{id} and later rendered unescaped via {!! $conversation->getSignatureProcessed([], true) !!} in conversation views. CSP allows style-src * 'self' 'unsafe-inline', so injected inline styles execute freely. An attacker with access to mailbox settings (admin or agent with mailbox permission) can inject CSS attribute selectors to exfiltrate the CSRF token of any agent/admin who views a conversation in that mailbox. With the CSRF token, the attacker can perform any state-changing action as the victim (create admin accounts, change email/password, etc.) — privilege escalation from agent to admin. This is the result of an incomplete fix of GHSA-jqjf-f566-485j. That advisory reported XSS via mailbox signature. The fix applied Helper::stripDangerousTags() to the signature before saving. However, stripDangerousTags() only removes script, form, iframe, and object tags — it does NOT strip <style> tags, leaving CSS injection possible. Version 1.8.213 contains an updated fix.
- Record
CVE-2026-40497- CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- 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-2026-40497 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.1) in Freescout, published April 21, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.24%, the 15th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-fh99-wr77-pxq3
github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/commit/5aa8d633216f65995e80a7d4a921b784acc94df4
github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/releases/tag/1.8.213
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/40xxx/CVE-2026-40497.json
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40497