CVE-2024-34698: FreeScout is a free, self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions of FreeScout prior to 1.8.139 contain a Prototype Pollution vulnerability in t...

Description

FreeScout is a free, self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions of FreeScout prior to 1.8.139 contain a Prototype Pollution vulnerability in the `/public/js/main.js` source file. The Prototype Pollution arises because the `getQueryParam` Function recursively merges an object containing user-controllable properties into an existing object (For URL Query Parameters Parsing), without first sanitizing the keys. This can allow an attacker to inject a property with a key `__proto__`, along with arbitrarily nested properties. The merge operation assigns the nested properties to the `params` object's prototype instead of the target object itself. As a result, the attacker can pollute the prototype with properties containing harmful values, which are then inherited by user-defined objects and subsequently used by the application dangerously. The vulnerability lets an attacker control properties of objects that would otherwise be inaccessible. If the application subsequently handles an attacker-controlled property in an unsafe way, this can potentially be chained with other vulnerabilities like DOM-based XSS, Open Redirection, Cookie Manipulation, Link Manipulation, HTML Injection, etc. Version 1.8.139 contains a patch for the issue.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.3/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.46%

36.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Freescout	Freescout	< 1.8.139

References

Timeline

Published: May 14, 2024
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-34698?

FreeScout is a free, self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Versions of FreeScout prior to 1.8.139 contain a Prototype Pollution vulnerability in the `/public/js/main.js` source file. The Prototype Pollution arises because the `getQueryParam` Function recursively merges an object containing user-controllable properties into an existing object (For URL Query Parameters Parsing), without first sanitizing the keys. This can allow an attacker to inject a property with a key `__proto__`, along with arbitrarily nested properties. The merge operation assigns the nested properties to the `params` object's prototype instead of the target object itself. As a result, the attacker can pollute the prototype with properties containing harmful values, which are then inherited by user-defined objects and subsequently used by the application dangerously. The vulnerability lets an attacker control properties of objects that would otherwise be inaccessible. If the application subsequently handles an attacker-controlled property in an unsafe way, this can potentially be chained with other vulnerabilities like DOM-based XSS, Open Redirection, Cookie Manipulation, Link Manipulation, HTML Injection, etc. Version 1.8.139 contains a patch for the issue.

How severe is CVE-2024-34698?

CVE-2024-34698 has a CVSS score of 6.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.46% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2024-34698?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.