CVE-2025-48390: freescout Code Injection

Description

FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.178, FreeScout is vulnerable to code injection due to insufficient validation of user input in the php_path parameter. The backticks characters are not removed, as well as tabulation is not removed. When checking user input, the file_exists function is also called to check for the presence of such a file (folder) in the file system. A user with the administrator role can create a translation for the language, which will create a folder in the file system. Further in tools.php, the user can specify the path to this folder as php_path, which will lead to the execution of code in backticks. This issue has been patched in version 1.8.178.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.2

HIGH

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-94 CWE-94

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
freescout	freescout	< 1.8.178

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/commit/fb33d672a2d67f5a2b3cf69c80945267f17908b2 https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-5324-cw55-gwj5

Exploits

https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-5324-cw55-gwj5

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-48390? +

FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.178, FreeScout is vulnerable to code injection due to insufficient validation of user input in the php_path parameter. The backticks characters are not removed, as well as tabulation is not removed. When checking user input, the file_exists function is also called to check for the presence of such a file (folder) in the file system. A user with the administrator role can create a translation for the language, which will create a folder in the file system. Further in tools.php, the user can specify the path to this folder as php_path, which will lead to the execution of code in backticks. This issue has been patched in version 1.8.178. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.2 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2025-48390? +

CVE-2025-48390 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.2 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-48390? +

CVE-2025-48390 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-2025-48390? +

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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