CVE-2026-53594

Received Received - Intake

Path Traversal in FreeScout Help Desk

Publication date: 2026-07-20

Last updated on: 2026-07-20

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description

FreeScout is a free help desk and shared inbox built with PHP's Laravel framework. FreeScout's `Manage -> Logs -> App Logs` feature uses the bundled `rap2hpoutre/laravel-log-viewer` override to decrypt a user-supplied file identifier and then pass the resolved path to Laravel's download response. Prior to version 1.8.224, the path resolution logic accepts any existing absolute path before applying the intended `storage/logs` restriction. As a result, an attacker who can access the App Logs route and forge a valid Laravel-encrypted `dl` parameter can download arbitrary server-local files readable by the PHP process, not just log files. Version 1.8.224 contains a fix.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-07-20

Last Modified

2026-07-20

Generated

2026-07-21

AI Q&A

2026-07-21

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-53594

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
freescout	freescout	to 1.8.224 (exc)
rap2hpoutre	laravel-log-viewer	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-22	The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

FreeScout is a help desk application with a feature to view and download log files. Due to improper path validation in versions before 1.8.224, an attacker with access to the App Logs route could forge a parameter to download any file on the server that the PHP process can read, not just log files.

Detection Guidance

Check FreeScout version with: grep -r "version" /path/to/freescout/config/app.php. If version is below 1.8.224, the system is vulnerable. Inspect App Logs feature for unauthorized file access attempts in application logs.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows attackers to read sensitive files on the server, such as configuration files, environment variables, or other sensitive data accessible by the PHP process. This could lead to further attacks like data breaches or privilege escalation.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to personal or sensitive data, violating GDPR and HIPAA requirements for data protection and confidentiality. Organizations using affected versions may face compliance violations and legal consequences.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade FreeScout to version 1.8.224 or later immediately. Restrict access to the App Logs route to trusted administrators only. Review server logs for signs of exploitation attempts.

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