CVE-2026-38444
Received Received - Intake

Stored XSS in osTicket via Email From-Header Display Name

Publication date: 2026-08-03

Last updated on: 2026-08-03

Assigner: MITRE

Description
osTicket v1.18.3 is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via the email From-header display name. The value is extracted without sanitization in include/class.mailparse.php and stored raw in the poster field of ost_thread_entry. When an unauthenticated attacker sends a reply email to an existing ticket from an unregistered address with an XSS payload in the From display name.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-03
Last Modified
2026-08-03
Generated
2026-08-04
AI Q&A
2026-08-03
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-38444
EUVD
EUVD-2026-52404

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
osticket osticket 1.18.3

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-79 The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.

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Executive Summary

osTicket v1.18.3 has a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the email From-header display name. The system extracts this value without sanitization in include/class.mailparse.php and stores it raw in the poster field of ost_thread_entry. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by sending a reply email with an XSS payload in the From display name from an unregistered address.

Detection Guidance

Check osTicket logs for suspicious email entries with unusual From-header display names. Inspect ost_thread_entry table for raw XSS payloads in the poster field. Monitor network traffic for unexpected HTTP requests from client browsers after viewing ticket threads.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users. When a user views a ticket with the crafted email, the script executes in their browser, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting to phishing sites, or performing actions on behalf of the user.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating GDPR's data protection principles and HIPAA's security requirements. It may result in data breaches, non-compliance penalties, and loss of trust due to inadequate protection against XSS attacks.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade osTicket to the latest patched version immediately. Temporarily disable email reply functionality if an upgrade isn't possible. Implement input validation for email headers in the mail parsing module. Review and sanitize existing database entries in ost_thread_entry.

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