# CVE-2026-41189: FreeScout has assigned-only visibility bypass that allows editing hidden customer-authored threads

> Attackers can edit hidden customer threads in FreeScout due to missing authorization checks in the thread editing policy.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4h5p-7f5c-q7gj

## What is CVE-2026-41189?

CVE-2026-41189 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in freescout-help-desk freescout, published on 21 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.215, customer-thread editing is authorized through `ThreadPolicy::edit()`, which checks mailbox access but does not apply the assigned-only restriction from `ConversationPolicy`. A user who cannot view a conversation can still load and edit customer-authored threads inside it. Version 1.8.215 fixes the vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-41189?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-41189?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-41189 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-41189 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-41189 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-41189 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-41189 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in freescout-help-desk freescout, published on 21 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-41189 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2026-41189/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41189/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41189
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41189
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41189

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41189/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.