VulnerabilityPublished 20 Feb 2026Updated 24 Feb 2026

CVE-2026-2490: RustDesk Client for Windows · Link Following

Affects RustDesk Client for WindowsSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.

Data as of 29 Oct 2026, 19:04 UTC

CVSS 3.0 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 29% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Feb 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
RustDeskClient for Windows	Affected =1.4.1	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-2490, organizations should: 1) Upgrade RustDesk Client for Windows to a version where this vulnerability is patched once available. 2) Until a patch is released, restrict local user permissions to prevent unauthorized code execution, especially on systems running RustDesk. 3) Implement strict endpoint security controls such as application whitelisting and behavior monitoring to detect and block unauthorized symbolic link creation or suspicious file transfer activities. 4) Audit and monitor file system access logs for unusual access patterns indicative of symbolic link abuse. 5) Educate users about the risks of running untrusted code locally and enforce least privilege principles to minimize the attack surface. 6) Consider network segmentation and limiting RustDesk client usage to trusted environments to reduce exposure. 7) Coordinate with RustDesk vendor for timely updates and advisories.

Description

RustDesk Client for Windows Transfer File Link Following Information Disclosure Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of RustDesk Client for Windows. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Transfer File feature. By uploading a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to read arbitrary files. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to disclose information in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-27909.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-2490 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information on affected systems running RustDesk Client for Windows 1.4.1. Since the attacker can read arbitrary files with SYSTEM privileges, this could lead to exposure of critical system files, credentials, configuration data, or other confidential information. Such data leakage could facilitate further attacks, including privilege escalation or lateral movement within an organization’s network. The vulnerability does not affect data integrity or system availability directly but compromises confidentiality significantly. Organizations relying on RustDesk for remote desktop and file transfer operations may face increased risk of insider threats or local attackers exploiting this flaw to gather intelligence. The requirement for local code execution reduces the risk of remote exploitation but does not eliminate it, especially in environments where endpoint security is weak or where attackers have gained initial footholds.

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access (Link Following) (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: MediumOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Symlink Attack (opens in a new tab)
Using Malicious Files (opens in a new tab)
Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files (opens in a new tab)
Manipulating Web Input to File System Calls (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 28 Feb 2026, 12:46 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-59

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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