Medium severity · published Feb 25, 2026
CVE-2026-27015
FreeRDP: Smartcard NDR Alignment Padding Triggers Reachable WINPR_ASSERT Abort (Client DoS)
6.5
CVSS
0.3%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. Prior to version 3.23.0, a missing bounds check in `smartcard_unpack_read_size_align()` (`libfreerdp/utils/smartcard_pack.c:1703`) allows a malicious RDP server to crash the FreeRDP client via a reachable `WINPR_ASSERT` → `abort()`. The crash occurs in upstream builds where `WITH_VERBOSE_WINPR_ASSERT=ON` (default in FreeRDP 3.22.0 / current WinPR CMake defaults). Smartcard redirection must be explicitly enabled by the user (e.g., `xfreerdp /smartcard`; `/smartcard-logon` implies `/smartcard`). Version 3.23.0 fixes the issue.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.3% · higher than 23% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
FR
FreeRDP · FreeRDP
< 3.23.0 · source: vendor, NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-27015
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-27015
Patch
https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/commit/65d59d3b3c2f630f2ea862687ecf5f95f8115244
Exploit
https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/security/advisories/GHSA-7g72-39pq-4725
More from FreeRDP
9.8
CVE-2026-63633
FreeRDP: Heap buffer overflow in Opus audio decode (`freerdp_dsp_decode_opus` resizes the wrong stream) — server→client
9.8
CVE-2026-55194
FreeRDPHeap-buffer-overflow write in TS Gateway RPC RESPONSE reassembly due to alloc_hint capacity mismatch
9.8
CVE-2026-55191
FreeRDP: Heap-buffer-overflow write in AVC444 YUV buffer allocation
9.8
CVE-2026-66402
FreeRDP before 3.29.0 TLS Certificate Identity Validation Bypass
9.8
CVE-2026-57156
FreeRDP: Integer overflow leading to heap buffer overflow in Orders Delta Points parsing