Freelinking security updates, in plain English

Freelinking

220 sites report using it · on drupal.org · 1 security release explained here

It provides a filter framework for easier creation of links to other pages on a site or to external sites.

Below is every security release for Freelinking that this site has covered, newest first. Each one says who could exploit it, whether it applies to your site, how urgent it is, and what to tell your developer. If your site uses this module and you are not sure which version, that is the first question to ask whoever looks after it.

Freelinking

Moderately critical · 220 sites report using it · SA-CONTRIB-2026-213 · on drupal.org · Week of 7 October 2026

It provides a filter framework for easier creation of links to other pages on a site or to external sites.

A user with the right access could see the titles of private web links. They could read this hidden text. They could not change or delete anything.

Who could do thisOnly someone with a login on your site.
Does it apply to youA site is affected if an attacker has an access right to use a text format configured to allow private external URLs to be crawled.
Has it been used in attacksNo sign of it.
How urgentDrupal rates this moderately critical. Include it in your next routine update, within the month.

Tell your developerUpdate Freelinking to 4.0.3.

For developers: what the fix changed

The fix introduces a method in the External plugin to verify whether an external URL should be crawled, ensuring that private IP ranges are not accessed to retrieve page titles. It also changes the default setting to disable scraping and updates the configuration description to warn about potential exposure.

Also in this release The release includes updates to PHPStan configuration paths and adds a new unit test for external host URL checking.

4.0.2 to 4.0.3 1 commit, 3 files including 1 test.

phpstan.neon.dist +4 −4
src/Plugin/freelinking/External.php +28 −5 fix

Full diff, 4.0.2 to 4.0.3

The comparison is against the release immediately before the fix. If your site is on an older release, more will have changed.

Get in touch

Tell me who you are, what your organisation does, and what you need. That might be a Drupal site that needs looking after, an upgrade to get done before December, or an agency that needs Drupal cover.

If I can help, I'll say so and suggest a call. If I can't, I'll tell you straight away rather than waste your time.

For context: I work mainly with UK charities, membership bodies and research organisations, and with the agencies that look after their websites. Not recruiters.

Or start smaller and connect with me on LinkedIn. That's where I post what I find digging around in charity and grants data, and where the free tools turn up first.

Freelinking

Freelinking

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