Memory exhaustion in FreeRDP via serial device control requests
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Passive
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · Low
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-770.
Summary
FreeRDP before 3.32.2 does not cap the output buffer length in serial device-control requests (CWE-770), so memory allocation is not limited. A malicious server with serial redirection enabled can send a request with a near-maximum length to exhaust client memory.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-04
Description from the CNA
FreeRDP before 3.32.2 fails to cap the OutputBufferLength in serial device-control IRP requests, allowing malicious servers to trigger excessive memory allocation. Attackers running a server with serial redirection can send an IRP_MJ_DEVICE_CONTROL request with IOCTL_USBPRINT_GET_1284_ID and a near-maximum length to exhaust client memory.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade FreeRDP to 3.32.2, which fixes the flaw. Red Hat rates it Moderate and lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 with no fix planned, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 with none available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-04
- Fix · CNA FreeRDP (FreeRDP) Fixed in 3.32.2
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
FreeRDP 3.32.2
27 records Highest priority Priority HIGH 3 HIGH, 11 MEDIUM, 13 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-84268 Denial of service in FreeRDP WinPR PNG and JPEG image readersPriority HIGH 77
- TI-2026-84291 Denial of service in FreeRDP via oversized X.224 routing tokenPriority HIGH 69
- TI-2026-84280 Use-after-free in FreeRDP dyn-channel-dump modulePriority HIGH 69
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-11-03 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-121405
- 2026-11-03 Alias added: GHSA-f3vp-w46f-jr9h
- 2026-11-03 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-11-03 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
- 2026-11-04 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-04 CVSS score added · Red Hat
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-2026-121405 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-121405 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-f3vp-w46f-jr9h · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-121405 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences