Buffer overflow in Freerdp
CVE-2026-23531
FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. Prior to version 3.21.0, in ClearCodec, when `glyphData` is present, `clear_decompress` calls `freerdp_image_copy_no_overlap` without validating the destination rectangle, allowing an out-of-bounds read/write via crafted RDPGFX surface updates. A malicious server can trigger a client‑side heap buffer overflow, 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.
Vulnerability class: Buffer Overflow
EPSS: 0.004 (36.3th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 9.8 (Critical). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
Affected products
- Freerdp — versions < 3.21.0
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_CONFIRM, Exploit, Vendor Advisory)
- security-advisories@github.com (Product, x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC, Release Notes)
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-23531?
- CVE-2026-23531 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Freerdp, classified under Heap-based Buffer Overflow. CVSS score: 9.8/10. Published 2026-01-19.
- How severe is CVE-2026-23531?
- Critical severity. CVSS v3 base score is 9.8 out of 10.