CRITICAL CVSS 9.0
Published: 2026-04-21

CVE-2026-40569

Software Component Security Advisory (CVE-2026-40569)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2026-40569 impacting Software Component. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 9.0 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions prior to 1.8.213 have a mass assignment vulnerability in the mailbox connection settings endpoints of FreeScout (`connectionIncomingSave()` at `app/Http/Controllers/MailboxesController.php:468` and `connectionOutgoingSave()` at line 398). Both methods pass `$request->all()` directly to `$mailbox->fill()` without any field allowlisting, allowing an authenticated admin to overwrite any of the 32 fields in the Mailbox model's `$fillable` array -- including security-critical fields that do not belong to the connection settings form, such as `auto_bcc`, `out_server`, `out_password`, `signature`, `auto_reply_enabled`, and `auto_reply_message`. Validation in `connectionIncomingSave()` is entirely commented out, and the validator in `connectionOutgoingSave()` only checks value formats for SMTP fields without stripping extra parameters. An authenticated admin user can exploit this by appending hidden parameters (e.g., `[email protected]`) to a legitimate connection settings save request. Because the `auto_bcc` field is not displayed on the connection settings form (it only appears on the general mailbox settings page), the injection is invisible to other administrators reviewing connection settings. Once set, every outgoing email from the affected mailbox is silently BCC'd to the attacker via the `SendReplyToCustomer` job. The same mechanism allows redirecting outgoing SMTP through an attacker-controlled server, injecting tracking pixels or phishing links into email signatures, and enabling attacker-crafted auto-replies -- all from a single HTTP request. This is particularly dangerous in multi-admin environments where one admin can silently surveil mailboxes managed by others, and when an admin session is compromised via a separate vulnerability (e.g., XSS), the attacker gains persistent email exfiltration that survives session expiry. Version 1.8.213 fixes the issue.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
High (PR:H)
Administrative credentials required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
Low (A:L)
Partial service performance degradation

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product Generic/Unknown / Software Component
Affected Versions Unspecified
Weakness Enumeration CWE-284

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2026-40569 impacting Software Component.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2026-40569.yaml
id: cve-2026-40569

info:
  name: Software Component - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2026-40569 affecting Software Component.
    Evaluation: FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions prior to 1.8.213 have a mass assignment vulnerability in the mailbox connection...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2026-40569
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L
    cvss-score: 9.0
    cve-id: CVE-2026-40569
    cwe-id: CWE-284
  tags: cve,cve-2026-40569,generic,software,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "Server"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2026-40569.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2026-40569
# Target: Software Component | CVSS: 9.0 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2026-40569 (Software Component)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against Software Component scope (Unspecified).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2026-40569.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2026-40569
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install software 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade software 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update software

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i software 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i software

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2026-40569 in Software Component?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update Software Component packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2026-40569?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2026-40569?

CVE-2026-40569 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.0 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
9.0
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2026-40569
Weakness CWE-284
Vendor Generic/Unknown
Product Software Component
Published 2026-04-21
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L