CVE-2026-50538
HIGHDescription
LibVNCClient is a library for easy implementation of a VNC client. In versions 0.9.12 through 0.9.15, a malicious (or man-in-the-middle) VNC server can force a connecting `libvncclient` to write attacker-controlled data past the end of its framebuffer. This is an out-of-bounds heap write with attacker-controlled length, contents, and offset. It needs no authentication (the attacker is the server), works in a default build with default settings, and fires from a single `FramebufferUpdate` the moment the victim connects. It crashes any client unconditionally (denial of service); we also demonstrated it overwriting an application callback pointer and redirecting execution to attacker-chosen code (code execution) under the default configuration. Commit 540332be3e0acc566fa64da6f1b4680c72c724dd patches the issue.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 24% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2015-3113 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2024-26256 | High | 7.8 | 88% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2020-25687 | Medium | 5.9 | 87% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2009-3459 | High | 8.8 | 87% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2021-21017 | High | 8.8 | 86% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2020-25683 | Medium | 5.9 | 86% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-50538?
Published advisories record a fix for 4 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2026-50538 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-50538 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.32% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 24% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-50538?
CVE-2026-50538 has a CVSS v3 base score of 8.8, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2026-50538 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for libvncserver (Debian), libvncclient1 (Ubuntu), libvncserver (Ubuntu), libvncserver1 (Ubuntu). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-08-24.