CVE-2025-58718: High Severity RDP Client Use-After-Free and Patch Guidance

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Microsoft has published an advisory for CVE-2025-58718, a high‑severity use‑after‑free vulnerability in the Remote Desktop Client that can allow a malicious RDP server to execute arbitrary code on a client that connects to it; the vendor and multiple independent trackers assign a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 and indicate the exploit requires user interaction (the client connecting to a crafted server) but no privileges on the attacker side.

Hacker silhouette targets a Remote Desktop window exposing CVE-2025-58718 vulnerability.Background​

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and the Remote Desktop Client are core parts of Windows used for remote administration, support, VDI sessions and thin‑client workflows. Historically, most RDP security efforts focus on server hardening and network exposure — but client‑side bugs that allow a malicious server to compromise connecting clients flip the usual trust model and carry outsized risk for users and administrators who routinely accept inbound remote session connections. Community writeups and patch guidance emphasize that a vulnerable client connecting to an attacker‑controlled server is the primary exploitation path for this family of bugs.
Microsoft’s Security Update Guide is the canonical place to map CVE identifiers to per‑SKU KB updates; administrators should cross‑check CVE→KB mappings in MSRC prior to automated deployment because third‑party trackers occasionally lag or mis‑map patch artifacts. Practical operational guidance published by experienced administrators and vendor advisories reiterate: treat MSRC as the authoritative source when you’re deciding which update packages to push.

What the advisory says (short summary)​

  • Vulnerability: Use‑after‑free in the Remote Desktop Client component. The memory corruption can be triggered by a malicious RDP server during session negotiation or other protocol interactions, allowing code execution in the context of the client process.
  • Impact: Remote Code Execution — attacker can run arbitrary code on a connecting client, potentially achieving system‑level impact depending on the client’s privileges. The CVSS v3.1 vector commonly published for this CVE is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (8.8).
  • Preconditions: User interaction required — the victim must connect to a malicious RDP server (UI:R). No attacker privileges on the server side are required beyond hosting the server.
  • Current exploit status: at publication there were no widely reported in‑the‑wild exploit campaigns or public PoC code, but historical precedent shows disclosure and patch diffs often accelerate exploit development. Treat the absence of confirmed exploitation as a temporary window for remediation, not a guarantee of safety.

Why a client‑side RCE in Remote Desktop Client matters​

  • The client trust model: Remote Desktop Clients implicitly trust servers to provide screen, device redirection, drive mapping, clipboard and other channels. A malicious server can abuse those trust channels to deliver malformed protocol payloads that the client parses. This reverses the usual expectation that servers are the risk surface — a common client habit (connect to help, demo or third‑party machines) becomes an attack vector.
  • Administrative reach: Many users run RDP clients from admin workstations, management consoles, or ephemeral admin sessions. If an admin machine is compromised via a client‑side RCE, the attacker can pivot to higher‑value systems and credentials. Enterprise exposure is therefore materially higher than home use alone.
  • Exploitability profile: the reported CVSS vector emphasizes low attack complexity and no attacker privileges, while requiring the user to connect — a common, low‑friction action in support and remote‑work contexts. That makes social engineering, malicious links to RDP endpoints, and embedded RDP connection files plausible vectors for targeted abuse.

Technical analysis — what “use‑after‑free” here likely means​

Use‑after‑free (UAF) is a memory‑safety class where code continues to reference a memory object after it has been freed. In network‑facing clients, UAF typically arises when asynchronous parsing, multiple threads, or protocol state machines release resources under one code path while another path still assumes they are valid.
A practical exploitation chain often looks like this:
  • An attacker controls the server and crafts protocol responses that trigger the client to free an object (or free it prematurely).
  • The attacker then provokes the client to reference that freed memory and — through heap grooming or timing — place attacker‑controlled data into the freed slot.
  • By corrupting function pointers, vtables, or control data, the attacker redirects execution to payload code when the client dereferences the corrupted data.
  • On success, arbitrary code runs inside the client process with the process’s privileges.
This particular CVE’s vector string and vendor text imply the client is vulnerable during network interaction with an RDP server (Network attack vector), but users must still initiate a connection (UI:R). Because exploitation depends on creating and manipulating memory state on the client, the ease of reliable exploitation varies by OS build, compiler mitigations, allocator behavior and the presence of runtime hardening (HVCI/Memory Integrity, Control Flow Guard). That said, the combination of low attack complexity and high impact is why the CVSS is 8.8.
Caveat: Microsoft’s public advisory intentionally omits low‑level exploit mechanics to reduce risk of rapid weaponization; any blog post, PoC snippet or tool claiming a single‑step exploit should be treated cautiously until validated by researchers or Microsoft. If a claim names exact function names, offsets, or packet encodings before vendor or reputable researcher confirmation, flag it as unverified.

What we can verify now (cross‑checked)​

  • The CVE exists and is listed in industry CVE trackers with a base score of 8.8 and the vector that indicates network attack vector with user interaction required.
  • Multiple independent aggregators (CVEFeed, CVE Details, Feedly summaries and security news outlets) report the same core facts: UAF in Remote Desktop Client, RCE impact, vendor patch available. These independent mirrors corroborate the high‑level facts.
  • Vendor guidance: Microsoft’s Security Update Guide is the authoritative mapping between the CVE and specific KBs/patches for each Windows SKU — administrators are advised to consult MSRC directly to obtain per‑build KB numbers and hotpatch options if available. Community operational playbooks emphasize verifying the KB numbers in MSRC before mass deployment to avoid KB mis‑mapping.
Unverifiable / caution points:
  • As of the advisory, there was no widely shared public exploit or confirmed active exploitation in the wild; absence of exploitation reports reduces immediate mass‑exploitation risk but does not mean the vulnerability is safe. Attackers often weaponize patched bugs via patch diffing and reverse engineering. Treat the absence of PoC or confirmed exploitation as a temporary mitigation window, not a clearance to delay patching.

Affected products and patch status​

Microsoft’s advisory covers the Remote Desktop Client across supported Windows client and server SKUs; precise affected builds and the per‑SKU KB number(s) are published in MSRC’s Security Update Guide entry for CVE‑2025‑58718. Administrators must map the CVE to each target OS build and patch via Windows Update, WSUS/Intune, Microsoft Update Catalog, or the Microsoft Store (for app‑packaged clients) depending on how Remote Desktop is deployed in their environment.
Because third‑party vulnerability feeds sometimes omit exact KB mapping or lag behind MSRC’s dynamic pages, the recommended process is:
  • Open Microsoft’s Security Update Guide entry for CVE‑2025‑58718 and record the KB numbers for each affected SKU.
  • Use your patch management tooling (WSUS/Intune/SCCM) to stage updates in a test ring before broad rollout — validate functionality, Remote Desktop connectivity, and relevant integrations (VDI, session brokers, RD Gateway).
Note: Several community advisories and operational guides from past RDP/Remote Desktop advisories stress that there can be multiple update artifacts (LCU, SSU, app update) depending on the platform; allow time for catalog entries to propagate and verify SHA256 checksums where possible.

Immediate mitigation and a prioritized 24–72 hour checklist​

Treat this CVE as high priority for any host that runs Remote Desktop Client software used to connect to third‑party servers or public RDP endpoints, especially admin workstations and management consoles.
First 24 hours — emergency actions
  • Identify and inventory: enumerate which machines in your estate run Remote Desktop Client (mstsc.exe), Remote Desktop App, or third‑party RDP clients that may use the same vulnerable libraries. Prioritize admin workstations, jump hosts, and developer systems.
  • Patch planning: consult MSRC for the definitive KB list for CVE‑2025‑58718 and schedule updates for the highest‑value hosts first (admin workstations, jump hosts, build servers).
  • Block untrusted RDP connections: temporarily restrict outbound RDP connections from sensitive endpoints to whitelisted management jump hosts. If your firewall can restrict destination IPs or FQDNs for RDP ports, apply that as a stopgap.
72 hours — operational hardening and detection
  • Enforce least privilege: ensure everyday users run standard accounts, not local administrators, on machines that will connect to external RDP servers. Reducing the client’s privileges reduces post‑exploit impact.
  • Restrict admin access channels: require administrators to use jump boxes or managed bastion hosts that are patched promptly, rather than directly connecting from personal or laptop devices.
  • EDR/Telemetry: enable endpoint telemetry and create hunts for suspicious child process creation by mstsc.exe or Remote Desktop clients, abnormal DLL loads, and new persistence artifacts after RDP sessions. Capture memory and forensic artifacts for any suspected compromise.
Longer term and compensating controls
  • Network segmentation: ensure management and admin tiers cannot freely make outbound RDP connections to arbitrary internet hosts.
  • MFA + conditional access: require MFA and conditional access for remote sessions and admin portals associated with remote access tooling. While MFA does not prevent a client‑side RCE, it reduces the utility of stolen credentials for lateral movement.
  • Application control: use WDAC/AppLocker to restrict which binaries can be executed on critical admin hosts. Application allowlisting mitigates execution of arbitrary binaries even if memory corruption gives an attacker initial code execution capability.

Detection and forensic guidance​

Use multiple telemetry sources — EDR, Windows event logs, network captures and SIEM correlation — to detect potential exploitation or post‑exploit activity.
Key signals to monitor:
  • Unusual process activity after RDP sessions: parent process mstsc.exe spawning cmd.exe, powershell.exe, rundll32.exe or other suspicious processes.
  • Unexpected DLL loads by RDP client processes or attempted in-memory module injection.
  • Creation of new local users, scheduled tasks, services, or modifications to autostart locations shortly after RDP connections.
  • Network anomalies: RDP clients reaching out to uncommon IPs or domains for session continuation or C2, especially after a connection to a known malicious server.
  • Kernel/driver anomalies: in some exploit chains attackers drop kernel drivers; any unsigned driver loads or changes to driver services merit immediate investigation.
If you suspect exploitation:
  • Isolate the host (network disconnect).
  • Preserve volatile evidence: memory dump, process dumps, Windows event logs and EDR telemetry.
  • Collect packet captures of the RDP session where possible — a malicious server will show non‑standard protocol sequences or payload anomalies.
  • Engage incident response and plan credential rotation for accounts that used the compromised host.

Vendor response and strengths of the remediation​

  • Microsoft published the advisory and rolled updates through its standard channels; vendor patching demonstrates mature patch engineering and the availability of KB artifacts that enterprises can deploy via WSUS/Intune/SCCM. The presence of a vendor patch is the strongest single mitigator for memory‑corruption issues like UAFs.
  • The CVSS vector and advisory wording are explicit about the required user interaction (connecting to a malicious server), which helps defenders triage and craft mitigations that reduce the chance a user will be tricked into connecting.

Risks, residual concerns, and points of caution​

  • Patch diffusion and legacy systems: many enterprises run legacy OS versions, embedded appliances or specialized admin consoles that are slow or impossible to update quickly; those hosts remain high‑value targets. Prioritize compensating controls for unpatchable systems (network filtering, hardening, isolation).
  • Potential for post‑disclosure weaponization: once patches are available, attackers routinely analyze patch diffs to develop exploits. The advisory window reduces risk temporarily; timelines for weaponization are historically short for high‑impact memory‑corruption bugs. Don’t delay rollout.
  • Conflicting metadata in trackers: some third‑party feeds show inconsistent flags (for example “Remotely Exploit: No” while CVSS indicates AV:N); where these conflicts exist, treat the vendor advisory (MSRC) and the CVSS vector string as authoritative and act conservatively. Always verify KB numbers and product mappings in MSRC before declaring systems remediated.

Practical checklist for Windows admins (actionable)​

  • Immediately: identify admin and jump hosts that run Remote Desktop Client and place them in a high‑priority patch ring.
  • Within 24 hours: consult MSRC Security Update Guide for CVE‑2025‑58718 and map KBs to your OS builds; stage patches in a test ring and validate.
  • Within 48–72 hours: deploy updates to jump hosts, admin workstations, and other high‑value clients. Enforce outbound RDP restrictions until updates are applied.
  • After deployment: run EDR hunts for suspicious mstsc.exe behavior and roll credential rotation for accounts used on potentially exposed hosts.
  • Medium term: update operational playbooks to disallow direct external RDP connections from admin devices; require jump hosts and conditional access; enable application allowlisting on admin workstations.

Final assessment​

CVE‑2025‑58718 is a high‑impact, client‑side Remote Desktop vulnerability that merits immediate operational attention. The technical class (use‑after‑free) and the network‑facing trigger combined with a low complexity score create a real risk when users connect to untrusted RDP servers. Microsoft has released patches and the Security Update Guide remains the authoritative reference for KB mappings — organizations should treat the window between advisory and patch deployment as a critical period for rapid mitigation, not a grace period for delay. Cross‑checked trackers and community guidance underline both the severity and the practical mitigations: patch quickly, restrict outbound RDP connections from critical hosts, and hunt for suspicious post‑connection activity.

Conclusion
In a working model that increasingly relies on remote access for support, administration and hybrid work, client‑side trust assumptions are a recurring weak spot. CVE‑2025‑58718 reinforces the operational imperative: keep Remote Desktop clients and admin endpoints patched, minimize direct external RDP usage from high‑privilege machines, and treat vendor advisories as the starting point for rapid, staged remediation. Use MSRC to obtain the exact KBs for your builds and prioritize updates accordingly; after patching, validate and hunt proactively to ensure that exploitation—if present—has been contained.

Source: MSRC Security Update Guide - Microsoft Security Response Center
 

Microsoft has published an advisory for CVE-2025-58718, a high-severity use‑after‑free vulnerability in the Remote Desktop Client that can lead to remote code execution when a user connects to a malicious RDP server; the weakness received a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 and should be treated as an urgent patching and hardening priority for any environment that uses Remote Desktop.

Hooded attacker exploits CVE-2025-58718 in a remote desktop client, corrupting a pointer.Background / Overview​

Remote Desktop Protocol and the Remote Desktop Client are deeply embedded in Windows administration and remote‑work workflows. Historically, RDP/Remote Desktop has been a repeated target for severe vulnerabilities because the client/server model gives an attacker interesting angles: servers accept inbound network connections, and clients frequently initiate connections to third‑party or partner servers, creating opportunities to reverse the typical trust model. Notable prior incidents demonstrate the real operational risk when RDP-related memory corruption appears in shipping code.
CVE‑2025‑58718 follows that pattern: Microsoft classifies the root cause as a use‑after‑free (CWE‑416) in the Remote Desktop Client code path. Practically, this means a malicious RDP server can supply crafted data during an RDP session negotiation or session exchange that triggers a memory object to be used after it has been freed, allowing an attacker to corrupt memory and potentially redirect execution to attacker‑controlled payloads. Public trackers list the CVSS vector as AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H — network attack vector, no privileges required, user interaction required (the victim must connect to a malicious server).

Why this matters now​

  • The vulnerability affects the Remote Desktop Client — a component many administrators and knowledge workers use daily. While server‑side RCEs let attackers target exposed servers directly, client‑side RCEs invert the scenario: attackers can host malicious RDP servers or compromise existing servers and wait for clients to connect. That makes roaming laptops and machines that accept remote assistance especially exposed.
  • The CVSS base score 8.8 and the reported impacts (high confidentiality/integrity/availability) indicate that a successful exploit could deliver full system compromise on the client machine, including arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the logged‑on user or of the process hosting the client.
  • Even when a public proof‑of‑concept (PoC) is not yet available, history shows patches and advisories often accelerate exploit development: attackers can diff patched binaries to find exploitable code paths, or reverse engineered patches can make weaponization easier. Treat the absence of public PoCs as temporary safety, not a reason to delay remediation.

Technical analysis — how CVE‑2025‑58718 works​

Use‑after‑free explained in plain English​

A use‑after‑free occurs when the program frees an object (releases the memory) but later continues to use that memory as if it were still valid. In network‑facing code this frequently involves asynchronous operations, multiple threads, or complex parse/transform pipelines: one code path destroys an object while another still holds a reference. If an attacker can control the timing or content of the data that triggers the free/reuse, they can often reallocate that freed memory with attacker‑controlled data (heap grooming) and then redirect execution by overwriting function pointers, vtables, or return addresses stored in that region. In the context of an RDP client, the attacker controls what the server sends during session negotiation and can thus craft a sequence that triggers the vulnerable path.

Attack model and prerequisites​

  • Attacker capability: Host a malicious RDP server or compromise a legitimate RDP server; craft RDP responses and payloads that lead the client into the vulnerable code path.
  • Victim requirement: A user must initiate or accept a connection to the malicious or compromised RDP server (user interaction is required per the reported CVSS vector).
  • Privileges: The advisory and public scoring indicate no privileges required on the attacker side and potentially no privileges needed on the target beyond the user connecting. The impact depends on the privileges of the connected user; running as an administrator will raise the blast radius.

Exploitation complexity and feasibility​

Use‑after‑free exploits can range from difficult (when modern mitigations like ASLR, DEP, Control Flow Guard, heap cookies, and heap hardening are effective) to reliable once researchers obtain a stable primitive. The reported attack complexity is low in the CVSS vector (AC:L), but the requirement for user interaction and modern exploit mitigations tempers the immediacy of mass exploitation. Still, targeted attackers and skilled exploit developers can often turn UAFs into reliable RCEs quickly after disclosure.

Affected products and patch status — what administrators should confirm​

Microsoft’s Security Update Guide entry for CVE‑2025‑58718 is the authoritative place to map CVE→KB→builds. Public trackers have already mirrored the advisory metadata and the CVSS scoring, and several vulnerability feeds list the advisory with the MSRC reference. However, community reporting has repeatedly shown that automated feeds can lag or mis‑map CVEs to KBs, so administrators must confirm the exact KB number(s) for each Windows build in their estate before declaring devices remediated.
At the time of publication, multiple industry trackers report a patch is available through Microsoft Update or will be distributed as part of Microsoft’s security updates; organizations should:
  • Query Microsoft’s Security Update Guide for CVE‑2025‑58718 and note the KB(s) that match their OS builds.
  • Use Windows Update, WSUS, SCCM/ConfigMgr, Intune, or the Microsoft Update Catalog to deploy the exact KB to each affected build.
  • Validate update installation by confirming the target build and KB versions in your asset inventory and update console.
Caveat: Some MSRC pages are implemented as dynamic web apps and may require an interactive rendering engine — automated scrapers sometimes miss entries or show incomplete mappings. When in doubt, retrieve KBs via your update management console or the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Immediate mitigation and hardening checklist (first 24–72 hours)​

  • Apply security updates that map to CVE‑2025‑58718 on every affected Windows build as a top priority. Validate that the KB applied corresponds to the exact build/version of the systems being patched.
  • If you cannot patch immediately, avoid connecting to unknown or untrusted RDP servers. Temporarily educate users and block RDP connections to unfamiliar hosts.
  • Restrict outgoing RDP traffic at network egress points so that endpoints cannot initiate RDP sessions to arbitrary external addresses. Use proxying or dedicated jump hosts for necessary external connections.
  • Enforce Network Level Authentication (NLA) on RDP connections where applicable — NLA reduces exposure by requiring authentication before most RDP session initialization. Note: NLA is not a guaranteed protection against client‑side parsing flaws, but it adds a meaningful barrier.
  • Harden client hosts: run the Remote Desktop Client with least‑privilege accounts where feasible; avoid using administrative accounts for routine remote sessions. Ensure EDR/antivirus is up to date and that logging is enabled.
  • Monitor endpoints and network logs for suspicious RDP connections, unusual process launches after an RDP session, or unexpected child processes spawned by the Remote Desktop Client binary. Capture forensic artifacts if you suspect exploitation. (Detection guidance below.)

Detection and forensic guidance​

  • Endpoint telemetry: Look for crashes or abnormal behavior in the Remote Desktop client process (rdpclient binaries), unexpected child processes, or newly created persistence artifacts following an RDP connection. Configure EDR rules to alert on process creation events where the parent is the Remote Desktop Client.
  • Windows event logs: Monitor for Event IDs associated with application crashes, abnormal logon events after remote sessions, and suspicious service process starts. Correlate these with the network logs showing the remote party’s IP and FQDN to determine whether a client connected to an untrusted server.
  • Network telemetry: Identify outbound RDP connections to unusual destinations, especially to public IPs or cloud hosts that are not business‑approved. Log and retain packet captures of suspicious RDP handshakes for later analysis.
  • Hunting queries: Hunt for unusual combinations such as a Remote Desktop client process spawning a command shell or tools often used in post‑exploitation (PSExec, WMI usage, etc.) soon after an RDP connection. Those patterns strongly suggest in‑session compromise.
If exploitation is suspected, preserve memory images and network captures before applying remediation, and involve incident response personnel to perform a full containment and post‑incident analysis.

Operational risk analysis: strengths and weaknesses of vendor response​

Strengths
  • Microsoft disclosed the issue publicly through MSRC and (per industry trackers) provided a security update. Having a vendor patch available is the principal defense and reduces the window for unmitigated exploitation.
  • The advisory’s CVSS and CWE classification (use‑after‑free, network vector) helps defenders prioritize and craft actionable mitigations quickly.
Weaknesses & caveats
  • Vendor advisories sometimes omit low‑level exploit mechanics to avoid accelerating weaponization; that makes precise in‑the‑wild detection harder and can complicate risk scoring—defenders must assume worst‑case exploitability until proven otherwise.
  • Public CVE trackers occasionally show inconsistent CVE→KB mappings due to dynamic MSRC pages and scraper differences; mispatching is a real operational risk if automation relies on secondary feeds. Administrators should always cross‑check KB mappings in the Microsoft Update Catalog or within their patch management console.
  • Patches themselves can be reverse‑engineered: once a fix is published, attackers can diff patched binaries to locate the vulnerable code path and craft exploits. This is a common post‑patch threat model that elevates the importance of rapid patch deployment.

Longer‑term mitigations and architectural changes​

  • Minimize RDP exposure: Remove direct internet exposure of RDP. Favor managed jump hosts, RD Gateway with strict access controls, or VPN solutions that restrict access to known users/devices. Segmentation and least‑privilege networking reduce the chance that a client will reach a malicious RDP server.
  • Client hardening and policy: Use dedicated privileged workstations for admin tasks; implement application control (AppLocker or Windows Defender Application Control) to make it harder for arbitrary binaries to run even after an exploit. Rotate and audit local admin use to reduce privilege overlap.
  • Patch automation and verification: Build automation that maps CVEs to vendor KBs and verifies installed KBs per build, rather than relying exclusively on third‑party CVE feed mappings. Inject updated cumulative updates and security stack updates into golden images so newly provisioned machines are not reintroduced as vulnerable.
  • Monitoring & incident readiness: Maintain playbooks for RDP‑related incidents, including steps to isolate affected endpoints, collect volatile memory and network evidence, and rotate credentials used on potentially compromised hosts. Build EDR detections tuned for RDP client process anomalies and post‑session suspicious activity.

My recommended action plan (concise, prioritized)​

  • Identify and inventory all endpoints and servers running the Remote Desktop Client; map OS builds and installed KBs. Use your central asset inventory.
  • Cross‑check MSRC’s Security Update Guide entry for CVE‑2025‑58718 and capture the exact KB(s) for each build. Don’t trust secondary feeds for final KB mapping.
  • Test and deploy the Microsoft updates via existing patch management (WSUS/SCCM/Intune) — prioritize high‑risk and internet‑facing endpoints, administrative workstations, and devices used for remote maintenance.
  • Apply temporary mitigations where patching is delayed: restrict outgoing RDP connections, block known risky destinations, enforce NLA, and require the use of jump hosts for external connections.
  • Tune detection rules in EDR and network monitoring to look for suspicious child processes of the Remote Desktop client, new persistence artifacts, and unexpected outbound RDP traffic. Capture forensic evidence if compromise is suspected.

What remains uncertain and claims to treat cautiously​

  • Some public trackers aggregate the MSRC entry and list CVSS and impact details; however, automated feeds sometimes show differences in affected builds and KB mapping. If you encounter conflicting CVE→KB mappings from third‑party sources, rely on MSRC and Microsoft Update Catalog as the definitive source.
  • The definitive exploitability in specific environmental contexts (for example, whether certain building blocks of the RDP stack harden that path) may not be public. Microsoft intentionally avoids publishing exploit‑level details in initial advisories; treat any claims that cite precise function names or PoC details as unverified until published by Microsoft or reputable researchers.
  • Reported absence of in‑the‑wild exploitation is helpful but should not reduce urgency. Historically, weaponization can follow quickly after patch publication. Maintain a conservative posture.

Conclusion​

CVE‑2025‑58718 is a textbook high‑impact client‑side memory corruption vulnerability: a use‑after‑free in the Remote Desktop Client that yields remote code execution when a user connects to a malicious RDP server. The combination of a high CVSS score, a network attack vector, and the operational ubiquity of Remote Desktop make this a high‑priority remediation item for every organization that permits RDP use. Administrators must treat the Microsoft advisory as authoritative, patch promptly by mapping CVEs to the correct KBs, and apply immediate mitigations (restrict outgoing RDP, enforce jump hosts/NLA, harden clients) while tuning detection and incident response capacity. The vendor patch is the strongest defense; thoughtful network controls and host‑level hardening reduce exposure until updates are universally deployed.

(End of feature article)

Source: MSRC Security Update Guide - Microsoft Security Response Center
 

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