FreeRDP RDPEAR NDR ref-id aliasing causes client-side UAF/double-free and type confusion
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 4 fixed, 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-415 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. Prior to 3.26.0, FreeRDP's RDPEAR NDR parser accepts one non-null NDR pointer ref-id for multiple logical pointer fields without tracking the pointed object's expected NDR type or ownership. When the same ref-id is reused across two pointer fields, the parser assigns the same heap object to both output fields. The generic destructor later walks each field independently and destroys/frees both pointers. This causes a malicious-server-triggerable heap use-after-free / double-free in the FreeRDP client's RDPEAR authentication-redirection path. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.26.0.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA FreeRDP (FreeRDP) Fixed in 3.26.0
Red Hat 2 advisories
- RHSA-2026:46393 Released 2026-07-27 · Red Hat rating Importantfreerdp security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 10.0) freerdp-2:3.10.3-3.el10_0.9, freerdp-libs-2:3.10.3-3.el10_0.9, libwinpr-2:3.10.3-3.el10_0.9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v. 10.0) freerdp-devel-2:3.10.3-3.el10_0.9, freerdp-server-2:3.10.3-3.el10_0.9, libwinpr-devel-2:3.10.3-3.el10_0.9
- RHSA-2026:36203 Released 2026-07-07 · Red Hat rating Importantfreerdp security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) freerdp-2:3.10.3-12.el10_2.6, freerdp-libs-2:3.10.3-12.el10_2.6, libwinpr-2:3.10.3-12.el10_2.6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) freerdp-devel-2:3.10.3-12.el10_2.6, freerdp-server-2:3.10.3-12.el10_2.6, libwinpr-devel-2:3.10.3-12.el10_2.6
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:36203 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v. 10.0) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:46393 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:36203 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v. 10.0) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:46393 |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-44422
- 2026-10-13 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
- 2026-10-25 EPSS moved to the below the 50th percentile
References
More Freerdp vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-85092 Use-after-free in FreeRDP rdpgfx channel close handling CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2026-85091 Out-of-bounds write in FreeRDP proxy via bitmap cache v2 capability CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2026-24435 FreeRDP has a `size_t` underflow in ADPCM decoder leads to heap-buffer-overflow write CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-21373 Out-Of-Bounds Write in FreeRDP CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2022-08692 Server side NTLM does not properly check parameters in FreeRDP CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2023-21374 Out-Of-Bounds Read in FreeRDP CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
Sources
- CVE-2026-44422 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-44422 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2026-44422 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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