CVE-2026-23883
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 · uneditedFreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. Prior to version 3.21.0, `xf_Pointer_New` frees `cursorPixels` on failure, then `pointer_free` calls `xf_Pointer_Free` and frees it again, triggering ASan UAF. A malicious server can trigger a client‑side use after free, causing a crash (DoS) and potential heap corruption with code‑execution risk depending on allocator behavior and surrounding heap layout. Version 3.21.0 contains a patch for the issue.
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 confidenceFreeRDP versions prior to 3.21.0 contain a double-free vulnerability in pointer handling. The function xf_Pointer_New frees cursorPixels on failure, then pointer_free calls xf_Pointer_Free and frees it again, triggering ASan-detected UAF. A malicious RDP server can exploit this to cause client-side heap corruption and potential code execution.
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< 3.21.0CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify FreeRDP installationRun 'freerdp-version' or check your package manager for installed freerdp packages (e.g., 'dpkg -l | grep freerdp', 'rpm -qa | grep freerdp', or 'brew list freerdp')Affected if FreeRDP is installed and version cannot be determined or is below 3.21.0
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Determine installed FreeRDP versionExecute 'freerdp-version' or check the version output from your package manager query in the previous stepAffected if The reported version is less than 3.21.0 (e.g., 3.20.0, 3.19.0, etc.)
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Verify client-side vulnerability contextConfirm this is a client-side flaw - it affects any FreeRDP client connecting to an RDP server. The vulnerability triggers during pointer handling when the client receives malicious pointer data from a server.Affected if FreeRDP client is used to connect to remote RDP servers (this is the default client usage pattern)
You are affected if FreeRDP version is installed and is less than 3.21.0, and you use the client to connect to RDP servers (which is the primary use case).
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped3.21.0
Upgrade FreeRDP to version 3.21.0 or later. As a critical-severity vulnerability with remote code execution potential, prioritize this patch in deployment cycles.
FreeRDP 3.21.0
- Check current FreeRDP version using `freerdp-version` or your system's package manager
- Upgrade FreeRDP to version 3.21.0 using your system's package manager (e.g., `apt-get update && apt-get install freerdp` for Debian/Ubuntu, or `yum/dnf update freerdp` for RHEL/Fedora)
- If building from source, clone the FreeRDP repository and checkout tag `3.21.0`, then compile and install
- Verify the upgraded version is 3.21.0 or later using `freerdp-version`
- Restart any FreeRDP client sessions to ensure the patched binary is loaded
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-23883 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-23883 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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