CVE-2026-27015
FreeRDP: Smartcard NDR Alignment Padding Triggers Reachable WINPR_ASSERT Abort (Client DoS)
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.
INFO
Published Date :
Feb. 25, 2026, 9:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
Feb. 25, 2026, 9:16 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-27015
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update FreeRDP to version 3.23.0.
- Ensure smartcard redirection is only enabled when necessary.
- Review WinPR build configurations.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-27015.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/commit/65d59d3b3c2f630f2ea862687ecf5f95f8115244 | |
| https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/security/advisories/GHSA-7g72-39pq-4725 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-27015 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-27015
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-27015 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-27015 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Feb. 25, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added 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. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CWE CWE-617 Added Reference https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/commit/65d59d3b3c2f630f2ea862687ecf5f95f8115244 Added Reference https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/security/advisories/GHSA-7g72-39pq-4725