CVE-2025-48389
Published: 29 May 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-48389 is a high-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Freescout Freescout. Its CVSS base score is 8.6 (High).
Operationally, ranked in the top 11.3% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis
FreeScout, a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox application, is affected by a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability (CWE-502) in versions prior to 1.8.178. The flaw arises from insufficient validation when handling options: a string containing a serialized object can be supplied through the set function, and deserialization occurs when the value is later retrieved via the get method, resulting in arbitrary code execution.
An attacker with high privileges can exploit the issue remotely over a network with low attack complexity and no user interaction required, achieving high impacts on confidentiality and integrity along with limited availability effects on the affected instance.
The issue is resolved in version 1.8.178. The project has published a security advisory and applied a fix in commit f7548a7076a0b6e109001069d6be223fbd96c61e. The EPSS score has remained flat at 0.0399 with no material increase observed.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-28219
Vulnerability details
FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.178, FreeScout is vulnerable to deserialization of untrusted data due to insufficient validation. Through the set function, a string with a serialized object can be passed, and…
more
when getting an option through the get method, deserialization will occur, which will allow arbitrary code execution This issue has been patched in version 1.8.178.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.
Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.
Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.
Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.
Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.
Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.
Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or processing occurs.