CVE-2025-48480: freescout — Exploit & Fix

Description

FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.180, an authorized user with the administrator role or with the privilege User::PERM_EDIT_USERS can create a user, specifying the path to the user's avatar ../.htaccess during creation, and then delete the user's avatar, resulting in the deletion of the file .htaccess in the folder /storage/app/public. This issue has been patched in version 1.8.180.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

2.7

LOW

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-841 CWE-841

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
freescout	freescout	< 1.8.180

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-pfjf-43mp-3gp2

Exploits

https://github.com/freescout-help-desk/freescout/security/advisories/GHSA-pfjf-43mp-3gp2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-48480? +

FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.180, an authorized user with the administrator role or with the privilege User::PERM_EDIT_USERS can create a user, specifying the path to the user's avatar ../.htaccess during creation, and then delete the user's avatar, resulting in the deletion of the file .htaccess in the folder /storage/app/public. This issue has been patched in version 1.8.180. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 2.7 (LOW).

How severe is CVE-2025-48480? +

CVE-2025-48480 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 2.7 out of 10, rated LOW. This is a low-severity vulnerability with limited impact.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-48480? +

CVE-2025-48480 affects products from freescout, specifically: freescout. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-48480? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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