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CVE-2026-53595

Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2026-53595

FreeScout is a free help desk and shared inbox built with PHP's Laravel framework. Prior to version 1.8.224, the public endpoint `POST /user-setup/{hash}/{invite_sent_at}` (`OpenController@userSetupSave`) selects the target account solely by its `invite_hash` column, then overwrites that account's email and password and logs in as it. No authentication, cookie, or prior session is required. After a user activates, FreeScout sets `invite_hash` to the empty string. On MySQL and MariaDB, `VARCHAR`

Monday, July 20, 2026Vulnios Threat Intelligence
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Vulnerability Snapshot

CVE-2026-53595 is rated CRITICAL — exploitation is trivial or already observed in the wild and impact is severe. Patch immediately, not on the next maintenance window.

Executive Summary

FreeScout is a free help desk and shared inbox built with PHP's Laravel framework. Prior to version 1.8.224, the public endpoint POST /user-setup/{hash}/{invite_sent_at} (OpenController@userSetupSave) selects the target account solely by its invite_hash column, then overwrites that account's email and password and logs in as it. No authentication, cookie, or prior session is required. After a user activates, FreeScout sets invite_hash to the empty string. On MySQL and MariaDB, VARCHAR equality ignores trailing spaces, so a single URL-encoded space (%20) matches the stored empty string and selects the lowest-id activated user. The expiry guard decrypts invite_sent_at with the target's password hash, but Helper::decrypt returns its raw input unchanged when decryption fails. A plaintext numeric value such as 9999999999 therefore passes the time-to-live check without any secret. The result is that an anonymous attacker sets the email and password of the lowest-id activate

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-53595 is rated CRITICAL severity, requiring immediate attention from security teams.

CVSS Base Score: 9.4/10

🛡️What Defenders Should Check

  • Check if you are affected — Review your asset inventory for products listed in CVE-2026-53595.
  • Apply available patches — Visit vendor advisories for the latest security updates.
  • Monitor for exploitation — Check your SIEM/IDS logs for related indicators.

    • Use Vulnios to continuously monitor your exposure to CVE-2026-53595 and similar vulnerabilities.

    References & Sources

  • https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-jqj5-r72v-v29g

    • How Vulnios Detects This

    Vulnios scans for this vulnerability using Trivy and Grype for SBOM-based CVE matching and Vulnios CVE feed continuous monitoring against your asset inventory. Run a scan against your environment to see whether you are exposed; findings are linked back to the original CVE record so triage starts with the patch path already known.

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    Sources

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is CVE-2026-53595?

    CVE-2026-53595 is a critical-severity vulnerability tracked under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program. FreeScout is a free help desk and shared inbox built with PHP's Laravel framework. Prior to version 1.8.224, the public endpoint POST /user-setup/{hash}/{invite_sent_at} (`OpenController@userSetupSa

    Am I affected?

    Affected technology is listed in the Affected Products section above. If your asset inventory contains any of them, assume in-scope until you can prove otherwise.

    How urgent is the response?

    Critical: do not wait for your normal patch cycle. Verify exposure today, apply the vendor patch immediately, and add detection rules for any post-exploit indicators.

    How do I remediate?

    Apply the vendor patch listed in the upstream advisory linked under Sources. If the patch is not yet available, follow the vendor-supplied workaround (often a config flag or feature disable) and add detections for the published exploit pattern in your SIEM. Re-scan after the patch lands to confirm the finding clears.

    Where can I track exploitation activity?

    Watch CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for CVE-2026-53595. Cross-reference with public exploit databases and your own SIEM/IDS for indicator-of-compromise patterns. Vulnios tracks KEV status automatically and surfaces it on the asset findings view.

    How does Vulnios help with this?

    Vulnios continuously cross-references your asset inventory against the live CVE feed (NVD, vendor advisories, CISA KEV, and curated OSINT). When a new CVE matches your environment, you get a prioritized finding with the severity, KEV status, exploit-prediction (EPSS), and a direct path to the vendor patch. You can start a free scan from the homepage.

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