# CVE-2026-32754: FreeScout: Stored XSS via Unescaped Email Template Rendering ({!! $thread->body !!})

> Unauthenticated attackers can inject malicious scripts via email bodies that execute in agents' email clients, leading to session hijacking and credential theft.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 19 Mar 2026
- **Updated:** 20 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-56h2-5556-r6mg

## What is CVE-2026-32754?

CVE-2026-32754 is a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability in freescout-help-desk freescout, published on 19 Mar 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

FreeScout is a free help desk and shared inbox built with PHP's Laravel framework. Versions 1.8.208 and below are vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) through FreeScout's email notification templates. Incoming email bodies are stored in the database without sanitization and rendered unescaped in outgoing email notifications using Blade's raw output syntax {!! $thread->body !!}. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by simply sending an email, and when opened by any subscribed agent or admin as part of their normal workflow, enabling universal HTML injection (phishing, tracking) and, in vulnerable email clients, JavaScript execution (session hijacking, credential theft, account takeover) affecting all recipients simultaneously. This issue has been fixed in version 1.8.209.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), CWE-116 (Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-32754?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Freescout Freescout.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-32754?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-32754 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-32754 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-32754 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in freescout-help-desk freescout

- [CVE-2026-28289](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-28289/): FreeScout 1.8.206 Patch Bypass for CVE-2026-27636 via Zero-Width Space Character Leads to Remote Code Execution (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-27637](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27637/): FreeScout's Predictable Authentication Token Enables Account Takeover (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-29185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-29185/): FreeScout OS Command Injection vulnerability (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2026-40498](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40498/): FreeScout has Authentication Bypass and Information Disclosure in SystemController via /system/cron (high 8.9)
- [CVE-2026-40496](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40496/): FreeScout has Predictable Attachment Token that Allows Unauthenticated Private File Download via Brute Force (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-32754 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-32754 is a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability in freescout-help-desk freescout, published on 19 Mar 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-32754 exists.

Affected product: freescout-help-desk freescout. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32754/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32754/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-32754
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32754
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-32754

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32754/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.