Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
RustDesk Client through 1.4.8 can send a preset address-book password in the heartbeat sync body. Normal HTTPS protects it in transit, but if a client is redirected to a rogue or re-homed API server, that server can recover the shared secret and access the server-side address book.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority credential exposure issue for RustDesk-managed fleets. It is most urgent for organizations using centralized address books, shared preset passwords, or configuration mechanisms that could redirect clients to untrusted infrastructure.
Technical view
The reported flaw is CWE-522 in RustDesk Client heartbeat address-book sync, specifically src/hbbs_http/sync.rs. The client emits the preset address-book password verbatim in JSON. The issue affects Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android clients through 1.4.8, with risk amplified by the related rogue API endpoint condition in CVE-2026-30797.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where RustDesk deployments use preset address-book passwords and clients can be reconfigured or redirected to an attacker-controlled API endpoint. Environments without address-book sync or without preset shared secrets appear less exposed based on the supplied sources.
Exploitation context
The CVE is not listed as KEV in the supplied bundle. A third-party advisory is tagged as exploit-related, but the bundle does not establish active exploitation. The described attack depends on becoming the API endpoint, not passive sniffing of intact HTTPS traffic.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports cleartext credential placement in the heartbeat sync body, but not exposure over uncompromised HTTPS. The most important research dependency is the endpoint-control condition described with CVE-2026-30797. The bundle does not provide a named fixed version or vendor mitigation.
Mitigation direction
- Check RustDesk vendor guidance for fixed versions or official mitigations.
- Upgrade RustDesk Client when a vendor-supported fixed release is identified.
- Rotate any preset address-book passwords used by affected deployments.
- Verify clients are configured only for trusted RustDesk API endpoints.
- Remove shared preset address-book passwords where operationally feasible.
Validation and detection
- Inventory RustDesk Client versions and identify deployments through 1.4.8.
- Determine whether preset address-book password sync is enabled.
- Review client configuration sources for unexpected API endpoint changes.
- Audit server-side address-book access for unusual endpoint or client patterns.
- Validate remediation against vendor guidance before broad rollout.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-522: Credential and account abuse lookup
Authentication and credential weaknesses can make valid-account abuse and credential telemetry useful review starting points. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCredential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-30796 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.9 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N——VULSecVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
6.9MediumVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://rustdesk.com/docs/en/CVE reference, VULSec · technical-description, x_--config documentation
- https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSds6jjpd38oO_yIAyd1HYtKNUuea-I-ozAPpGhYI7QgAU-QGJ7D8a4rOZVj1vmiUXV1EcdRHf9aZAW/pubCVE reference, VULSec · third-party-advisory, exploit
- https://www.vulsec.org/CVE reference, VULSec · vdb-entry, third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Insufficiently Protected Credentials
Insufficiently Protected Credentials represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.