📄 Description (English)
FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. Prior to 3.22.0, video_timer can send client notifications after the control channel is closed, dereferencing a freed callback and triggering a use after free. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.22.0.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
FreeRDP versions prior to 3.22.0 contain a use-after-free vulnerability (CVE-2026-24491) in the video_timer component that can be triggered when client notifications are sent after the control channel closes. This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.5 and could lead to denial of service or potential code execution. Organizations using FreeRDP for remote desktop access should prioritize patching to version 3.22.0 or later.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: May 4, 2026 14:17
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability primarily impacts Saudi government agencies, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations that rely on FreeRDP for remote desktop infrastructure. ARAMCO and other critical infrastructure operators using RDP-based remote access solutions are at risk. Banking sector institutions connected to SAMA networks and government entities under NCA oversight face potential service disruption. Telecom operators (STC, Mobily) managing network infrastructure through RDP connections are also vulnerable. The use-after-free condition could enable attackers to crash RDP sessions or potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the RDP service.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Government
Banking and Financial Services
Healthcare
Energy and Utilities
Telecommunications
Critical Infrastructure
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
7.8
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
1. IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
- Inventory all FreeRDP deployments across your organization
- Identify systems running versions prior to 3.22.0
- Assess criticality of affected RDP infrastructure
2. PATCHING GUIDANCE:
- Upgrade FreeRDP to version 3.22.0 or later immediately
- Apply patches to all affected systems within 48-72 hours for critical infrastructure
- Test patches in non-production environments first
- Coordinate patching with change management procedures
3. COMPENSATING CONTROLS (if immediate patching not possible):
- Restrict RDP access to trusted networks only using firewall rules
- Implement network segmentation to isolate RDP services
- Enable RDP connection logging and monitoring
- Disable RDP services on non-essential systems
- Implement VPN-based access controls for remote desktop connections
4. DETECTION RULES:
- Monitor for unexpected RDP process crashes or service restarts
- Alert on video_timer related errors in application logs
- Track RDP connection terminations followed by reconnection attempts
- Monitor for memory access violations in RDP service processes
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
1. الإجراءات الفورية:
- قم بحصر جميع نشرات FreeRDP عبر مؤسستك
- حدد الأنظمة التي تعمل بإصدارات سابقة للإصدار 3.22.0
- قيّم أهمية البنية التحتية RDP المتأثرة
2. إرشادات التصحيح:
- قم بترقية FreeRDP إلى الإصدار 3.22.0 أو أحدث على الفور
- طبّق التصحيحات على جميع الأنظمة المتأثرة خلال 48-72 ساعة للبنية التحتية الحرجة
- اختبر التصحيحات في بيئات غير الإنتاج أولاً
- نسّق التصحيح مع إجراءات إدارة التغيير
3. الضوابط البديلة (إذا لم يكن التصحيح الفوري ممكناً):
- قيّد الوصول إلى RDP للشبكات الموثوقة فقط باستخدام قواعد جدار الحماية
- طبّق تقسيم الشبكة لعزل خدمات RDP
- فعّل تسجيل ومراقبة اتصالات RDP
- عطّل خدمات RDP على الأنظمة غير الأساسية
- طبّق ضوابط الوصول القائمة على VPN لاتصالات سطح المكتب البعيد
4. قواعد الكشف:
- راقب أعطال عمليات RDP غير المتوقعة أو إعادة تشغيل الخدمة
- أصدر تنبيهات حول أخطاء video_timer المتعلقة في سجلات التطبيق
- تتبع إنهاء اتصالات RDP متبوعة بمحاولات إعادة الاتصال
- راقب انتهاكات الوصول إلى الذاكرة في عمليات خدمة RDP
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC 2024 A.12.6.1 - Management of technical vulnerabilities
ECC 2024 A.14.2.1 - Secure development policy
ECC 2024 A.12.2.1 - Monitoring of system use
🔵 SAMA CSF
ID.RA-1 - Asset management and vulnerability identification
PR.IP-12 - Software development and acquisition security
DE.CM-8 - Vulnerability scans
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.12.6.1 - Management of technical vulnerabilities
A.14.2.1 - Secure development policy
A.12.2.1 - Monitoring of system use
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
Requirement 6.2 - Security patches and updates
Requirement 11.2 - Vulnerability scanning
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
freerdp:freerdp