---
id: "CVE-2026-121391"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-121391"]
title: "FreeRDP: repeated create requests leak file descriptors and crash the client"
severity: "medium"
cvss: 5.3
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["freerdp", "package", "rdp-client", "remote-desktop"]
not_affected_if: ["parallel-redirection-disabled", "trusted-servers-only", "versions-below-3.0.0-or-3.32.2-plus"]
published_at: "2026-11-03T15:17:26+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-11-03T15:21:57+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-11-03T15:24:37+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-121391", "first_seen_at": "2026-11-03T15:21:57+00:00"}]
---

# FreeRDP: repeated create requests leak file descriptors and crash the client

FreeRDP's parallel device redirection code fails to close file descriptors when a server sends repeated IRP_MJ_CREATE requests. A hostile RDP server can exhaust the client's descriptor table and crash the FreeRDP process.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- `xfreerdp --version` or `freerdp --version` to find the installed FreeRDP version
- Check whether parallel-device redirection (for example `/parallel` in the client command line) is enabled
- Find the clients and applications that embed FreeRDP and confirm their bundled version

## Fix

- FreeRDP from `3.0.0` before `3.32.2`: move to `3.32.2` or later

## Timeline

- 2026-11-03T15:21:57+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-121391

## Documents

- [advisory] Vendor advisory: github.com https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/security/advisories/GHSA-8g9g-hqqp-fw69
- [advisory] Third-party advisory: www.vulncheck.com https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/freerdp-before-3.32.2-file-descriptor-exhaustion-via-parallel-create

## From the sources

FreeRDP from 3.0.0 before 3.32.2 contains a file descriptor leak in parallel_process_irp_create that fails to close previous descriptors on repeated IRP_MJ_CREATE requests. A hostile RDP server with parallel-device redirection enabled can send repeated CREATE requests to exhaust the client descriptor table and crash the process.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_