FreeScout is a free help desk and shared inbox built with PHP's Laravel framework. Prior to version 1.8.206, FreeScout's `TokenAuth` middleware uses a predictable authentication token computed as `MD5

Description

FreeScout is a free help desk and shared inbox built with PHP's Laravel framework. Prior to version 1.8.206, FreeScout's `TokenAuth` middleware uses a predictable authentication token computed as `MD5(user_id + created_at + APP_KEY)`. This token is static (never expires/rotates), and if an attacker obtains the `APP_KEY` — a well-documented and common exposure vector in Laravel applications — they can compute a valid token for any user, including the administrator, achieving full account takeover without any password. This vulnerability can be exploited on its own or in combination with CVE-2026-27636. Version 1.8.206 fixes both vulnerabilities.

Affected Products

References

• https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/commit/004a8231f6e413af1d4680930b0e2342fd4283f9(Patch)
• https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-6gcm-v8xf-j9v9(Exploit, Vendor Advisory)
• https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-mw88-x7j3-74vc(Not Applicable)
• https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-6gcm-v8xf-j9v9(Exploit, Vendor Advisory)
• https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-mw88-x7j3-74vc(Not Applicable)