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Use-after-free in FreeRDP smartcard emulation ReleaseContext

Priority HIGH 77CWE-416Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
None
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 4 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.

Summary

FreeRDP before 3.32.2 contains a use-after-free (CWE-416) in the Emulate_SCardReleaseContext function. The emulated smartcard context is freed before its worker thread is cancelled and joined. A malicious server can corrupt heap memory or crash clients that use smartcard emulation. A public exploit is linked in the references.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06

Description from the CNA

FreeRDP before 3.32.2 contains a use-after-free vulnerability in Emulate_SCardReleaseContext that frees the emulated SCardContext before its worker thread is cancelled and joined. A malicious server can send ESTABLISHCONTEXT, a long-timeout GETSTATUSCHANGE, then RELEASECONTEXT smartcard IRPs to corrupt heap memory or crash clients using smartcard emulation.

Why it matters now

Exploitation Proof of concept CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00344 28th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Partial FreeRDP (FreeRDP): 3.32.2Red Hat: 4 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
Poc
Automatable
Yes
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
FreeRDPFreeRDPbefore 3.32.23.32.2Patch availableCNA
  • FreeRDP VendorFreeRDP Affected before 3.32.2 Fixed in 3.32.2 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:freerdp:freerdp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 3.32.2VulnerableFreeRDP
  • cpe:2.3:a:freerdp:freerdp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 3.32.2 Vulnerable ·FreeRDP

Remediation

Upgrade FreeRDP to version 3.32.2. The sources list no fixed version for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06

  • 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

    14 records Highest priority Priority HIGH 11 HIGH, 3 MEDIUM

    Other records, highest priority first

    • TI-2026-85092 Use-after-free in FreeRDP rdpgfx channel close handlingPriority HIGH 81
    • TI-2026-85091 Out-of-bounds write in FreeRDP proxy via bitmap cache v2 capabilityPriority HIGH 81
    • TI-2026-85103 Heap buffer overflow in FreeRDP RD Gateway RPC clientPriority HIGH 77

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9AffectedNo fix yet
Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6

Timeline

  1. 2026-11-04 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-121955
  2. 2026-11-04 Alias added: GHSA-59q5-wg5w-gxp4
  3. 2026-11-04 CISA SSVC decision points changed
  4. 2026-11-04 Priority changed: MEDIUM → HIGH
  5. 2026-11-05 CVSS score added · NVD
  6. 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  7. 2026-11-06 CVSS score added · Red Hat
  8. 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat

References

  • 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
See all 336 →

Sources