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FreerdpApplication

CVE-2026-25955

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.23.0 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

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 version 3.23.0, `xf_AppUpdateWindowFromSurface` reuses a cached `XImage` whose `data` pointer references a freed RDPGFX surface buffer, because `gdi_DeleteSurface` frees `surface->data` without invalidating the `appWindow->image` that aliases it. Version 3.23.0 fixes 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 confidence

FreeRDP before 3.23.0 has a use-after-free vulnerability in xf_AppUpdateWindowFromSurface. When gdi_DeleteSurface frees surface->data, it does not invalidate the cached appWindow->image that aliases the same memory pointer, allowing reuse of a freed buffer.

MitigationUpgrade FreeRDP to version 3.23.0 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict RDP connections to trusted hosts to reduce attack surface.

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:< 3.23.0

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 version
    Run `freerdp-version` or check your package manager for the installed freerdp package version
    Affected if The installed version is any version prior to 3.23.0
  2. Verify X11 session is in use
    Confirm the FreeRDP client is connecting via X11 rather than Wayland or another display server. Check environment variables or connection parameters for X11-based rendering
    Affected if X11 rendering is active and the client is running on an X11-based system
  3. Confirm RDPGFX (graphics) remoting is enabled
    Inspect the connection parameters or logs for whether RDPGFX or H.264 graphics remoting is negotiated. This is typically enabled by default for modern RDP connections but can be verified in connection logs
    Affected if RDPGFX graphics remoting is enabled, which triggers the code path that allocates and manages surfaces
  4. Check for surface allocation activity
    Monitor or inspect if the connection has created graphical surfaces. The vulnerable code path in xf_AppUpdateWindowFromSurface is exercised when surfaces are created and updated during graphics remoting
    Affected if The session involves active graphics surface creation and updates through the RDP graphics pipeline

You are affected if your FreeRDP version is prior to 3.23.0 and you are using X11 rendering with RDP graphics remoting enabled, which triggers the surface management code path where the use-after-free occurs.

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 3.23.0 or later
Fixed in 3.23.0
Vendor patch github.com →
Interim mitigation

Upgrade FreeRDP to version 3.23.0 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict RDP connections to trusted hosts to reduce attack surface.

Recommended fix High confidence

FreeRDP 3.23.0

  1. Identify the current FreeRDP version installed in your environment using package manager or `freerdp-version` command
  2. Update package repository metadata to ensure latest available packages are known
  3. Upgrade FreeRDP to version 3.23.0 or later using the appropriate package manager command (e.g., `apt update && apt install freerdp`, `yum update freerdp`, or similar)
  4. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds 3.23.0 using `freerdp-version` or equivalent
  5. Test that remote desktop functionality works correctly after the upgrade

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

Fix this in Freerdp Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,780
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,448.

Scan for this in your stack

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-2026-25955 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