CVE-2025-5024 is a vulnerability identified in the gnome-remote-desktop component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. The flaw arises when gnome-remote-desktop listens for incoming Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by sending repeated connection attempts, which exhaust system resources, causing the gnome-remote-desktop process to crash repeatedly. Beyond immediate crashes, the vulnerability causes a resource leak that persists even after the service is restarted via systemd. This leak eventually prevents gnome-remote-desktop from opening files, effectively disabling the remote desktop functionality until the system is rebooted or further remediation is performed. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.4 (high), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R) in the form of connection attempts. The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the impact extends beyond the vulnerable component. The vulnerability impacts availability (A:H) but does not affect confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. This vulnerability could be leveraged to perform denial-of-service attacks against systems running RHEL 10 with gnome-remote-desktop enabled, potentially disrupting remote management and user access.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the availability of remote desktop services on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 systems. Organizations relying on gnome-remote-desktop for remote administration or user access could face service disruptions, impacting business continuity and operational efficiency. Critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and industrial control systems that use RHEL 10 may experience denial-of-service conditions, potentially delaying critical operations. The lack of confidentiality or integrity impact limits data breach concerns, but the availability impact alone can cause significant operational and reputational damage. Additionally, the resource leak that persists after service restarts complicates recovery efforts, potentially requiring system reboots or manual intervention. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits over time.

1. Monitor and restrict network access to the gnome-remote-desktop RDP service using firewalls or network segmentation to limit exposure to untrusted networks. 2. Disable gnome-remote-desktop or RDP services on RHEL 10 systems where remote desktop functionality is not required. 3. Apply official patches or updates from Red Hat as soon as they become available to address this vulnerability. 4. Implement intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) to detect abnormal connection patterns indicative of resource exhaustion attacks. 5. Regularly monitor system resource usage and gnome-remote-desktop process health to detect early signs of exploitation. 6. Consider deploying rate limiting or connection throttling mechanisms on RDP services to mitigate repeated connection attempts. 7. Prepare incident response plans to quickly recover from denial-of-service conditions, including potential system reboots or service restarts with additional cleanup steps. 8. Engage with Red Hat support for guidance and best practices tailored to your environment.