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FreerdpApplication

CVE-2026-22852

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.20.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. Prior to 3.20.1, a malicious RDP server can trigger a heap-buffer-overflow write in the FreeRDP client when processing Audio Input (AUDIN) format lists. audin_process_formats reuses callback->formats_count across multiple MSG_SNDIN_FORMATS PDUs and writes past the newly allocated formats array, causing memory corruption and a crash. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.20.1.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Heap-buffer-overflow in FreeRDP client audin_process_formats function when processing Audio Input (AUDIN) format lists. The function incorrectly reuses callback->formats_count across multiple MSG_SNDIN_FORMATS PDUs, causing writes beyond allocated array bounds, leading to memory corruption and crash.

MitigationUpdate FreeRDP client installations to version 3.20.1 or later. Until patched, avoid connecting to untrusted RDP servers, particularly those that may send malicious AUDIN format list PDUs.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
FreerdpApplication
Affected:< 3.20.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check FreeRDP client version
    Run 'freerdp-version' or 'freerdp' with --version flag, or check package manager: 'dpkg -l freerdp' (Debian) or 'rpm -qi freerdp' (RHEL). Compare the installed version number against the affected range: < 3.20.1
    Affected if The installed FreeRDP client version is below 3.20.1
  2. Identify if FreeRDP client is in use
    Determine if the system runs FreeRDP as an RDP client. Check for executables: xfreerdp, wfreerdp, or the freerdp library files in /usr/lib/ or /opt/. RDP servers using FreeRDP library are also affected.
    Affected if FreeRDP client binaries or libraries are installed and used to establish RDP connections
  3. Check if Audio Input (AUDIN) can be negotiated
    During an RDP connection setup, the client negotiates capabilities. The vulnerability triggers when the server sends multiple MSG_SNDIN_FORMATS PDUs for Audio Input redirection. Inspect session logs for 'AUDIN' or 'audio input' capability negotiation.
    Affected if The client negotiates Audio Input (AUDIN) redirection with an RDP server that sends malicious format list PDUs

You are affected if a FreeRDP client version below 3.20.1 is installed and used to connect to RDP servers, particularly when Audio Input redirection is enabled or automatically negotiated.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.20.1 or later
Fixed in 3.20.1
Interim mitigation

Update FreeRDP client installations to version 3.20.1 or later. Until patched, avoid connecting to untrusted RDP servers, particularly those that may send malicious AUDIN format list PDUs.

Recommended fix High confidence

FreeRDP 3.20.1

  1. Check current FreeRDP version using 'freerdp-version' or 'xfreerdp /version'
  2. Download FreeRDP 3.20.1 from the official FreeRDP GitHub releases page (github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/releases)
  3. Upgrade FreeRDP using your distribution's package manager or compile from source following the project build instructions
  4. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version again
  5. Test that RDP connections still function properly after the upgrade
Caveat Major version upgrades may include protocol or feature changes; review the FreeRDP 3.20.1 release notes for any breaking changes specific to your use case

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Freerdp Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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Free · runs locally
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-22852 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data