CVE-2026-40565: FreeScout has Stored XSS / CSS Injection via linkify() — Unescaped URL in Anchor href

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.

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack vector

Network

Complexity

Low

Privileges

None

User interaction

Required

Confidentiality

Low

Integrity

Low

Availability

None

Scope

Changed

Exploitation

Is it being used?

Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.2% · higher than 10% of CVEs

Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet

CISA KEVNot listed

Ransomware campaign useNot known

Affected products

Which versions

FR

freescout · freescout-help-desk

< 1.8.213 · source: vendor, NVD