FreeRDP <3.24 Heap Overflow via IMA/MS-ADPCM Audio Decoders
CVE-2026-31883 Published on March 13, 2026
FreeRDP has a `size_t` underflow in ADPCM decoder leads to heap-buffer-overflow write
FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. Prior to 3.24.0, a size_t underflow in the IMA-ADPCM and MS-ADPCM audio decoders leads to heap-buffer-overflow write via the RDPSND audio channel. In libfreerdp/codec/dsp.c, the IMA-ADPCM and MS-ADPCM decoders subtract block header sizes from a size_t variable without checking for underflow. When nBlockAlign (received from the server) is set such that size % block_size == 0 triggers the header parsing at a point where size is smaller than the header (4 or 8 bytes), the subtraction wraps size to ~SIZE_MAX. The while (size > 0) loop then continues for an astronomical number of iterations. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.24.0.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-31883 can be exploited with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. An automatable proof of concept (POC) exploit exists. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have a small impact on confidentiality and integrity, and no impact on availability.
Weakness Types
What is an Integer underflow Vulnerability?
The product subtracts one value from another, such that the result is less than the minimum allowable integer value, which produces a value that is not equal to the correct result. This can happen in signed and unsigned cases.
CVE-2026-31883 has been classified to as an Integer underflow vulnerability or weakness.
Heap-based Buffer Overflow
A heap overflow condition is a buffer overflow, where the buffer that can be overwritten is allocated in the heap portion of memory, generally meaning that the buffer was allocated using a routine such as malloc().
Products Associated with CVE-2026-31883
Want to know whenever a new CVE is published for FreeRDP? stack.watch will email you.
Affected Versions
FreeRDP Version < 3.24.0 is affected by CVE-2026-31883Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.