CVE-2026-40566 FreeScout vulnerable to SSRF via IMAP/SMTP Connection Test Endpoints
Authenticated admins can exploit SSRF in IMAP/SMTP test endpoints to scan internal networks and leak sensitive data from internal services or cloud metadata.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-40566?
CVE-2026-40566 is a medium-severity server-side request forgery vulnerability in freescout-help-desk freescout, published on 21 Apr 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Official description
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions prior to 1.8.213 have a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the IMAP/SMTP connection test functionality of FreeScout's `MailboxesController`. Three AJAX actions `fetch_test` (line 731), `send_test` (line 682), and `imap_folders` (line 773) in `app/Http/Controllers/MailboxesController.php` pass admin-configured `in_server`/`in_port` and `out_server`/`out_port` values directly to `fsockopen()` via `Helper::checkPort()` and to IMAP/SMTP client connections with zero SSRF protection. There is no IP validation, no hostname restriction, no blocklist of internal ranges, and no call to the project's own `sanitizeRemoteUrl()` or `checkUrlIpAndHost()` functions. The validation block in `connectionIncomingSave()` is entirely commented out. An authenticated admin can configure a mailbox's IMAP or SMTP server to point at any internal host and port, then trigger a connection test. The server opens raw TCP connections (via `fsockopen()`) and protocol-level connections (via IMAP client or SMTP transport) to the attacker-specified target. The response differentiates open from closed ports, enabling internal network port scanning. When the IMAP client connects to a non-IMAP service, the target's service banner or error response is captured in the IMAP debug log and returned in the AJAX response's `log` field, making this a semi-blind SSRF that enables service fingerprinting. In cloud environments, the metadata endpoint at `169[.]254[.]169[.]254` can be probed and partial response data may be leaked through protocol error messages. This is distinct from the `sanitizeRemoteUrl()` redirect bypass (freescout-3) -- different code path, different root cause, different protocol layer. Version 1.8.213 patches the vulnerability.
Weakness: CWE-918
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-40566?
How do I fix CVE-2026-40566?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-40566 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and send outbound requests through an allow-list that blocks internal addresses. More about Server-side request forgery.
Is CVE-2026-40566 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-40566 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-fg98-rgx6-8x4g.