CVE-2024-28186: freescout — Exploit & Fix

Description

FreeScout is an open source help desk and shared inbox built with PHP. A vulnerability has been identified in the Free Scout Application, which exposes SMTP server credentials used by an organization in the application to users of the application. This issue arises from the application storing complete stack traces of exceptions in its database. The sensitive information is then inadvertently disclosed to users via the `/conversation/ajax-html/send_log?folder_id=&thread_id={id}` endpoint. The stack trace reveals value of parameters, including the username and password, passed to the `Swift_Transport_Esmtp_Auth_LoginAuthenticator->authenticate()` function. Exploiting this vulnerability allows an attacker to gain unauthorized access to SMTP server credentials. With this sensitive information in hand, the attacker can potentially send unauthorized emails from the compromised SMTP server, posing a severe threat to the confidentiality and integrity of email communications. This could lead to targeted attacks on both the application users and the organization itself, compromising the security of email exchange servers. This issue has been addressed in version 1.8.124. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should adopt the following measures: 1. Avoid Storing Complete Stack Traces, 2. Implement redaction mechanisms to filter and exclude sensitive information, and 3. Review and enhance the application's logging practices.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.1

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-532 CWE-532

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
freescout	freescout	< 1.8.124

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout/commit/33639a89554998dcac645613130a27ac7872605e https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-7wcq-2qmv-mvcm https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout/commit/33639a89554998dcac645613130a27ac7872605e https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-7wcq-2qmv-mvcm

Exploits

https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-7wcq-2qmv-mvcm https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-7wcq-2qmv-mvcm

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-28186? +

FreeScout is an open source help desk and shared inbox built with PHP. A vulnerability has been identified in the Free Scout Application, which exposes SMTP server credentials used by an organization in the application to users of the application. This issue arises from the application storing complete stack traces of exceptions in its database. The sensitive information is then inadvertently disclosed to users via the `/conversation/ajax-html/send_log?folder_id=&thread_id={id}` endpoint. The stack trace reveals value of parameters, including the username and password, passed to the `Swift_Transport_Esmtp_Auth_LoginAuthenticator->authenticate()` function. Exploiting this vulnerability allows an attacker to gain unauthorized access to SMTP server credentials. With this sensitive information in hand, the attacker can potentially send unauthorized emails from the compromised SMTP server, posing a severe threat to the confidentiality and integrity of email communications. This could lead to targeted attacks on both the application users and the organization itself, compromising the security of email exchange servers. This issue has been addressed in version 1.8.124. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should adopt the following measures: 1. Avoid Storing Complete Stack Traces, 2. Implement redaction mechanisms to filter and exclude sensitive information, and 3. Review and enhance the application's logging practices. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2024-28186? +

CVE-2024-28186 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-28186? +

CVE-2024-28186 affects products from freescout, specifically: freescout. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-28186? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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