HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-20177
CRITICAL

CVE-2018-20177

CWE-190Published: March 15, 2019· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

rdesktop versions up to and including v1.8.3 contain an Integer Overflow that leads to a Heap-Based Buffer Overflow in the function rdp_in_unistr() and results in memory corruption and possibly even a remote code execution.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-20177 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
openSUSE2 product(s)
backportsleap
rdesktop1 product(s)
rdesktop
Source: NVD CPE · 5 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/rdesktop/rdesktop/commit/4dca546d04321a610c1835010b5dad85163b65e1
PATCHhttps://github.com/rdesktop/rdesktop/commit/4dca546d04321a610c1835010b5dad85163b65e1
ADVISORYhttp://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-09/msg00040.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106938
ADVISORYhttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/02/msg00030.html
ADVISORYhttps://research.checkpoint.com/reverse-rdp-attack-code-execution-on-rdp-clients/
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201903-06
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4394
ADVISORYhttp://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-09/msg00040.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106938
ADVISORYhttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/02/msg00030.html
ADVISORYhttps://research.checkpoint.com/reverse-rdp-attack-code-execution-on-rdp-clients/
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201903-06
ADVISORYhttps://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4394

All References (14)

→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-09/msg00040.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106938Broken Link · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://github.com/rdesktop/rdesktop/commit/4dca546d04321a610c1835010b5dad85163b65e1Patch
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/02/msg00030.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://research.checkpoint.com/reverse-rdp-attack-code-execution-on-rdp-clients/Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201903-06Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4394Third Party Advisory
→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-09/msg00040.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106938Broken Link · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://github.com/rdesktop/rdesktop/commit/4dca546d04321a610c1835010b5dad85163b65e1Patch
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/02/msg00030.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://research.checkpoint.com/reverse-rdp-attack-code-execution-on-rdp-clients/Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201903-06Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4394Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-20177
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-190
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedMar 15, 2019

Related CVEs (CWE-190)

CVE-2013-2555
10.0
CVE-2012-5143
10.0
CVE-2012-5835
10.0
CVE-2015-5108
10.0
CVE-2010-1233
10.0
CVE-2010-3254
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2018-20177 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
← All Vulnerabilities·Search for CVE-2018-20177·NVD