CVE-2026-33145
CWE-78Published: April 17, 2026· Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Official Description
xrdp is an open source RDP server. Versions through 0.10.5 allow an authenticated remote user to execute arbitrary commands on the server due to unsafe handling of the AlternateShell parameter in xrdp-sesman. When the AllowAlternateShell setting is enabled (which is the default when not explicitly configured), xrdp accepts a client-supplied AlternateShell value and executes it via /bin/sh -c during session initialization. This results in shell-interpreted execution of unsanitized, user-controlled input. This behavior effectively provides a scriptable remote command execution primitive over RDP within the security context of the authenticated user, occurring prior to normal window manager startup. This can bypass expected session initialization flows and operational assumptions that restrict execution to interactive desktop environments. This issue has been fixed in version 0.10.6.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-33145 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-78)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-33145 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts