CVE-2023-40589

Name: CVE-2023-40589
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2023-08-31T19:15:11.36+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 1.20%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2023-40589 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), released under the Apache license. In affected versions there is a Global-Buffer-Overflow in the ncrush_decompress function. EPSS estimates a 1.20% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), released under the Apache license. In affected versions there is a Global-Buffer-Overflow in the ncrush_decompress function. Feeding crafted input into this function can trigger the overflow which has only been shown to cause a crash. This issue has been addressed in versions 2.11.0 and 3.0.0-beta3. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

1.20%

64.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-120

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Freerdp	Freerdp	< 2.11.0	—
Freerdp	Freerdp	3.0.0	Beta1
Fedoraproject	Fedora	37	—
Fedoraproject	Fedora	38	—
Fedoraproject	Fedora	39	—
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0	—

References

https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/commit/16141a30f983dd6f7a6e5b0356084171942c9416Patch
https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/security/advisories/GHSA-gc34-mw6m-g42xExploit, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/10/msg00008.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/A6LLDAPEXRDJOM3PREDDD267SSNT77DP/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/IHMTGKCZXJPQOR5ZD2I4GPDNP2DKRXMF/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/OH2ATH2BKDNKCJAU4WPPXK4SHLE3UJUV/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-16
https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/commit/16141a30f983dd6f7a6e5b0356084171942c9416Patch
https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/security/advisories/GHSA-gc34-mw6m-g42xExploit, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/10/msg00008.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/02/msg00016.html
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/A6LLDAPEXRDJOM3PREDDD267SSNT77DP/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/IHMTGKCZXJPQOR5ZD2I4GPDNP2DKRXMF/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/OH2ATH2BKDNKCJAU4WPPXK4SHLE3UJUV/Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-16

Timeline

Published: Aug 31, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-40589?

How severe is CVE-2023-40589?

CVE-2023-40589 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.20% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-40589?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2023-40589?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST