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CVE-2025-54366· NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

FreeScout's deserialization of untrusted data leads to Remote Code Execution

FreeScout is a lightweight free open source help desk and shared inbox built with PHP (Laravel framework). In versions 1.8.185 and below, there is a critical deserialization vulnerability in the /conversation/ajax endpoint that allows authenticated users with knowledge of the APP_KEY to achieve remote code execution. The vulnerability occurs when the application processes the attachments_all and attachments POST parameters through the insecure Helper::decrypt() function, which performs unsafe deserialization of user-controlled data without proper validation. This flaw enables attackers to create arbitrary objects and manipulate their properties, leading to complete compromise of the web application. This is fixed in version 1.8.186.

HighCVSS 8.6 · v4.0—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 26, 2025
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
1.0% · 61th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

34

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
34 / 40 · 8.6 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 1.0%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
proof of concept
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · GitHub_M
8.6
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

We use this product, ask for help

Affected systems

VendorProduct
freescoutfreescout

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • freescout freescoutbefore 1.8.86

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • freescout-help-desk freescout

    • < 1.8.186affected

Same product

freescout: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-27637FreeScout's Predictable Authentication Token Enables Account Takeover
    39Monitor
  • CVE-2026-32754FreeScout: Stored XSS via Unescaped Email Template Rendering ({!! $thread->body !!})
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2024-29185FreeScout OS Command Injection vulnerability
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-27636FreeScout: Missing .htaccess in Restricted File Extensions Allows Remote Code Execution on Apache
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2026-40498FreeScout has Authentication Bypass and Information Disclosure in SystemController via /system/cron
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2026-40496FreeScout has Predictable Attachment Token that Allows Unauthenticated Private File Download via Brute Force
    35Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
freescout-help-desk freescout1.8.186 · descriptionVendor (CNA)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2025-5816338 days apartFreeScout's deserialization of untrusted data can lead to Remote Code Execution
    34Monitor
  • CVE-2025-4838958 days apartFreeScout Vulnerable to Deserialization of Untrusted Data
    34Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • Administrator privileges are required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
High
User interaction
None
Scope
X

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-502 · Deserialization of Untrusted Data

CVSS vector

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

nvd-secondary

Root cause

Data received over the network is deserialized into the language’s native object format without verifying its source. Code paths inside the object can be triggered during deserialization.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-502 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

python
payload = sock.recv(65536)job = pickle.loads(payload)

Fixed

python
payload = sock.recv(65536)if not hmac.compare_digest(sign(payload), header_sig):    raise PermissionError("invalid signature")job = JobSchema.validate(json.loads(payload))

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records