# CVE-2026-27950: FreeRDP heap-use-after-free in update_pointer_new(SDL): Fix Applied in the Wrong File

> An incomplete fix for a heap-use-after-free in FreeRDP's SDL2 implementation allows attackers to potentially execute code or cause crashes.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Feb 2026
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-27950, GHSA-rvfg-86cr-5r6p, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-27950

## What is CVE-2026-27950?

CVE-2026-27950 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Freerdp Freerdp, published on 25 Feb 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. Prior to version 3.23.0, the fix for the heap-use-after-free described in CVE-2026-24680 is incomplete. While the vulnerable execution flow referenced in the advisory exists in the SDL2 implementation, the fix appears to have been applied only to the SDL3 code path. In the SDL2 implementation, the pointer is not nulled after free. This creates a situation where the advisory suggests the vulnerability is fully resolved, while builds or environments still using SDL2 may retain the vulnerable logic. A complete fix is available in version 3.23.0.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-27950?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Freerdp Freerdp.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-27950?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-27950 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-27950 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Freerdp Freerdp

- [CVE-2021-37594](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-37594/): Other in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-37595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-37595/): Other in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-67305](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-67305/): FreeRDP Windows Client before 3.29.0 Heap Buffer Overflow via Cliprdr (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2026-66402](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66402/): FreeRDP before 3.29.0 TLS Certificate Identity Validation Bypass (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2026-67289](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-67289/): FreeRDP before 3.29.0 HTTP Proxy Request Injection via Redirection (critical 9.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-27950 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-27950 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Freerdp Freerdp, published on 25 Feb 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-27950 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Freerdp Freerdp. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27950/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27950/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-27950
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-27950
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-27950

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27950/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.