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Remote Desktop Client EUVDEUVD-2026-99128

| CVE-2026-69976 HIGH
Use After Free (CWE-416)
2026-10-13 secure@microsoft.com GHSA-qrg5-qrr6-h8w8
7.5
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: microsoft
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Lure victim to malicious RDP server
  2. Delivery
    Deliver crafted RDP server responses
  3. Exploit
    Trigger use-after-free in client
  4. Execution
    Reuse freed object to hijack control flow
  5. Impact
    Execute code as connecting user

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Memory lifecycle management
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the victim to actively initiate a Remote Desktop Client connection to an attacker-controlled or compromised RDP server (UI:R) - the client must reach out, so this cannot be triggered against a passive, idle endpoint. The attacker needs no credentials or prior access on the victim machine (PR:N), but must satisfy the high-complexity conditions (AC:H) inherent to reliably exploiting a use-after-free, such as precise object-lifetime timing and heap state manipulation via the malicious server's responses. Limiting factors: mandatory user action to connect (phishing/malicious .rdp lure), the elevated exploit reliability barrier, and execution occurring only in the connecting user's security context (S:U, no privilege escalation implied).

Impact

This is a client-side use-after-free (CWE-416) in the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client yielding remote code execution. The provided CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.5) tells a nuanced story: the vector is network (AV:N) and requires no privileges (PR:N), but exploitation is gated by high attack complexity (AC:H) and mandatory user interaction (UI:R). In practice this means the victim must be induced to connect their RDP client to an attacker-controlled or compromised RDP server, and the attacker must still win the memory-corruption conditions typical of a UAF (object lifetime race / heap grooming), which is why complexity is High rather than Low. No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public POC were provided in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis. The combination of UI:R + AC:H materially lowers real-world risk relative to the 7.5 base score: this is not a wormable, unauthenticated, default-config server bug but an opportunistic client-side RCE requiring social engineering plus a reliable exploit primitive. That said, because the Remote Desktop Client is bundled with every Windows installation, the population of potentially affected endpoints is enormous, so it warrants prompt patching even though immediate mass exploitation is unlikely. Note a minor signal conflict: the input Tags include 'Denial Of Service,' yet the description and the C:H/I:H/A:H impacts describe code execution - the DoS label appears to understate/mislabel the true RCE impact.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker stands up or compromises a malicious RDP server and lures a victim - via a phishing email, malicious .rdp file, or crafted link - into connecting their Remote Desktop Client to it. During the session negotiation or data handling, the server returns crafted responses that trigger the use-after-free in the client, and the attacker leverages the freed-object reuse to execute arbitrary code in the context of the connecting user. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, and the high attack complexity (AC:H) means a reliable exploit requires winning the UAF timing/grooming conditions.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.6% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026

Remote code execution in the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client (CWE-416) occurs when a user initiates an RDP connection to an attacker-controlled or compromised server that returns crafted responses, causing the client to reuse a freed memory object. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R) shows an unauthenticated attacker is required to hold no credentials on the victim host, but must convince the user to start the session and satisfy high-complexity heap-timing conditions for reliable exploitation; impact is confined to the connecting user's security context with no privilege escalation implied. Exploitation only triggers on a client that actively connects outbound, and no public exploit identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis from the supplied data; the linked MSRC update guide entry (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69976) is the authoritative place to check for the patched build identifier and to apply it as soon as Microsoft publishes it. Until a fixed version is confirmed, the most effective compensating control is egress restriction: block outbound RDP (TCP/UDP 3389, plus alternate ports) from user workstations to any host that is not an explicitly approved, hardened internal RDP server, which directly removes the attacker-controlled-server precondition at the cost of breaking legitimate off-network RDP use. Reinforce this with user-side controls that address the mandatory interaction requirement - strip or block execution of untrusted .rdp and .rdpw files received by email or download, and tighten attachment/web filtering - accepting that these are bypassable through social engineering. On managed endpoints, enforce application allowlisting or Windows Defender Application Control so only approved Remote Desktop client binaries execute, and apply least-privilege user rights so any successful exploit is contained in the user's context; note that allowlisting can break third-party remote-support tooling and requires maintenance. Also consider Attack Surface Reduction rules and memory-protection mitigations (CFG, ACG) via Exploit Protection, which raise exploitation reliability but do not eliminate the underlying defect, and treat unexpected mstsc.exe crashes as a possible exploitation signal worth investigating.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23470
Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5761
Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.3231
Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows 11 Version 26H2 10.0.26300.0 <10.0.26300.9711
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows 11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0 <10.0.22631.7652
Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.9711
Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26434
Windows 10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23470
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows 10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26434
Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.9711
Windows 10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows 10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376

Affected Packages

euvd windows_10_version_1607 fix: 10.0.14393.9612
euvd windows_10_version_1809 fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_10_version_21h2 fix: 10.0.19044.7807
euvd windows_10_version_22h2 fix: 10.0.19044.7807
euvd windows_11_version_23h2 fix: 10.0.22631.7652
euvd windows_11_version_24h2 fix: 10.0.26100.9711
euvd windows_11_version_25h2 fix: 10.0.26200.9711
euvd windows_11_version_26h1 fix: 10.0.28000.3231
euvd windows_11_version_26h2 fix: 10.0.26300.9711
euvd windows_server_2012 fix: 6.2.9200.26434
euvd windows_server_2012_r2 fix: 6.3.9600.23470
euvd windows_server_2012_r2_server_core_installation fix: 6.3.9600.23470
euvd windows_server_2012_server_core_installation fix: 6.2.9200.26434
euvd windows_server_2016 fix: 10.0.14393.9612
euvd windows_server_2016_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.14393.9612
euvd windows_server_2019 fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_server_2019_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_server_2022 fix: 10.0.20348.5761
euvd windows_server_2025 fix: 10.0.26100.33650
euvd windows_server_2025_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.26100.33650

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 20 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability is a use-after-free (CWE-416) in the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client, the component that drives outbound RDP sessions and parses everything the remote server sends back - graphics and bitmap updates, clipboard and virtual-channel data, session negotiation, and redirects. In this class of bug, a memory object is freed while a pointer to it remains live, and the client later dereferences that dangling pointer; the attacker, controlling the server side of the session, can shape the data and timing so the freed region is reallocated with attacker-influenced content, converting what would otherwise be a crash into controlled memory corruption and potentially code execution. The accompanying tags for denial of service, use after free, and memory corruption reflect that both outcomes are reachable from the same root condition. The vector's AC:H reflects the practical barrier: reliable exploitation depends on precise object-lifetime ordering and heap state manipulation across RDP exchanges, and the vector's S:U confirms any execution stays inside the connecting user's token rather than escaping to SYSTEM or kernel.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.5 HIGH

Client-side UAF reached over the network via a malicious RDP server, so AV:N/PR:N but UI:R since the victim must connect, and AC:H for the UAF timing/grooming needed to achieve C/I/A:H RCE.

3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Oct 13, 2026 - 20:20 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 13, 2026 - 19:19 nvd
HIGH 7.5

DescriptionCVE.org

Use after free in Remote Desktop Client allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A high-severity remote code execution flaw in the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client allows an attacker who controls or has compromised an RDP server to execute code on the machine of any employee who connects to it, with the code running under that employee's own account privileges. Because no vendor patch is currently available, every workstation and mobile device using the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client to reach external or third-party RDP endpoints remains exposed until Microsoft ships a fix. Leadership should care because this affects a commodity tool used broadly across the workforce, and the only near-term protection is tightening which RDP endpoints our users are permitted to reach.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor patch is available. Interim mitigations: restrict and allowlist outbound RDP destinations so users can only reach IT-approved, organization-owned servers; block outbound TCP/3389 to the internet where remote desktop is not required; disable or uninstall the Microsoft Remote Desktop Client on endpoints that do not need it; enforce least privilege so affected users lack local administrator rights and impact is contained to their own session; enable EDR monitoring and alerting for RDP client crashes and unexpected child processes; and replace ad-hoc third-party RDP access with sanctioned remote-access services such as Azure Virtual Desktop or managed jump hosts until a fixed client build is released.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.6%
Top 54% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
RDP client (mstsc) ships with every Windows installation
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Unlikely
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.6%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +38
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.

Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

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