Use After Free in Freerdp
CVE-2026-26986
FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. Prior to version 3.23.0, `rail_window_free` dereferences a freed `xfAppWindow` pointer during `HashTable_Free` cleanup because `xf_rail_window_common` calls `free(appWindow)` on title allocation failure without first removing the entry from the `railWindows` hash table, leaving a dangling pointer that is freed again on disconnect. Version 3.23.0 fixes the vulnerability.
Vulnerability class: Use-After-Free
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.5 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.008 (54.4th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 54th percentile — 54.4% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.005 · newest: 0.008 · change: +0.003
Affected products
- Freerdp — versions < 3.23.0
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/security/advisories/GHSA-crqx-g6x5-rx47 (Exploit, Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/commit/b4f0f0a18fe53aa8d47d062f91471f4e9c5e0d51 (Patch)
- https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/blob/5c7aae27d0417b42b4806c2a5c583ca39dd9ef1e/client/X11/xf_rail.c#L1230-L1238 (Product)
- https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/blob/5c7aae27d0417b42b4806c2a5c583ca39dd9ef1e/client/X11/xf_rail.c#L1297 (Product)
- https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/blob/5c7aae27d0417b42b4806c2a5c583ca39dd9ef1e/client/X11/xf_rail.c#L1316-L1327 (Product)
- https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/blob/5c7aae27d0417b42b4806c2a5c583ca39dd9ef1e/client/X11/xf_rail.c#L386-L394 (Product)
- https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/blob/5c7aae27d0417b42b4806c2a5c583ca39dd9ef1e/client/X11/xf_rail.c#L395-L399 (Product)
- https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/blob/5c7aae27d0417b42b4806c2a5c583ca39dd9ef1e/client/X11/xf_rail.c#L401-L404 (Product)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-26986?
- CVE-2026-26986 is a high-severity vulnerability in Freerdp, classified under Use After Free. CVSS score: 7.5/10. Published 2026-02-25.
- How severe is CVE-2026-26986?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.5 out of 10.