CVE-2026-44422
Description
A flaw was found in FreeRDP. A malicious server can exploit a heap use-after-free or double-free vulnerability in the FreeRDP client's RDPEAR authentication-redirection path. This occurs because the RDPEAR NDR parser incorrectly handles pointer reference IDs, leading to the same heap object being assigned to multiple pointer fields. This flaw could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service on the client system.
Statement
A critical FreeRDP flaw in the RDPEAR path incorrectly handles pointer reference IDs. If a user connects to a malicious server, it can trigger a heap use-after-free or double-free, causing arbitrary code execution or a denial of service (DoS).
Mitigation
To mitigate this risk, avoid connecting to untrusted RDP servers and use firewall rules to restrict FreeRDP clients to trusted servers. If FreeRDP is not needed, remove the package to eliminate the attack vector, though this may affect dependent applications.
**To remove the package:**
`sudo dnf remove freerdp`
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.5 | 8.8 | 7.5 |
| Attack Vector | Network | Network | Network |
| Attack Complexity | High | Low | High |
| Privileges Required | None | None | None |
| User Interaction | Required | Required | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | High | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | High | High |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory
If the expired pointer is used in a read operation, an attacker might be able to control data read in by the application.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
If the expired pointer references a memory location that is not accessible to the product, or points to a location that is "malformed" (such as NULL) or larger than expected by a read or write operation, then a crash may occur.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
If the expired pointer is used in a function call, or points to unexpected data in a write operation, then code execution may be possible.
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