# CVE-2026-42985 — Microsoft Remote Desktop client for Windows Desktop

> As of 2026-06-23, CVE-2026-42985 is a HIGH-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Remote Desktop client for Windows Desktop, CVSS v3.1 8.8, EPSS 0.9% (57.7th percentile). Threadlinqs Intelligence links 1 tracked threat campaign to CVE-2026-42985, most recently “Microsoft June 2026 Patch Tuesday — 198+ CVEs Including CVE-2026-49160 (HTTP.sys 'HTTP/2 Bomb' DoS), CVE-2026-50507 (BitLocker 'YellowKey' Bypass) and CVE-2026-45586 (Collaborative Translation Framework EoP)”.

**Last updated:** 2026-06-23

## What is CVE-2026-42985?

Heap-based buffer overflow in Remote Desktop Client allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

The record classifies CVE-2026-42985 under weakness class [CWE-416](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/416.html). Its CVSS v3 base vector states that the flaw is reachable remotely over the network, needs no prior authentication, needs a user to take an action first, and has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability. 12 affected-product entries are recorded, across 1 vendor, listed below. The identifier was first published 95 days ago.

## Severity and exploitation probability

- **CVSS v3.1 base score:** 8.8 — HIGH (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **EPSS (FIRST):** 0.9% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 57.7% of all scored CVEs
- **CISA KEV:** Not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
- **Threadlinqs priority:** 6.7/10 — a Threadlinqs composite of the CVSS base score, the EPSS percentile and public exploit availability
- **Published:** 2026-06-09, last modified 2026-06-23

## Is CVE-2026-42985 being exploited?

No public exploitation evidence for CVE-2026-42985 is recorded in the sources Threadlinqs tracks — CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, public proof-of-concept repositories and ProjectDiscovery Nuclei — as of 2026-06-23. That is an absence of evidence in those feeds, not a guarantee that the vulnerability is unexploited.

## Affected products and versions

- **Microsoft**: Remote Desktop client for Windows Desktop, Windows 10 Version 1607, Windows 10 Version 1809, Windows 10 Version 21H2, Windows 10 Version 22H2, Windows 11 version 23H2, Windows 11 Version 23H2, Windows 11 Version 24H2, Windows 11 Version 25H2, Windows 11 version 26H1, Windows App Client for Windows Desktop, Windows Server 2012

## How to fix CVE-2026-42985

Vendor advisory: [https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-42985](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-42985). Apply the vendor fix referenced above to every affected product listed in this record, then confirm the running version against the vendor advisory.

## Threat activity tracking CVE-2026-42985

1 tracked threat in the Threadlinqs corpus references CVE-2026-42985, either in the campaign’s CVE list or as an indicator on the campaign record.

- [Microsoft June 2026 Patch Tuesday — 198+ CVEs Including CVE-2026-49160 (HTTP.sys 'HTTP/2 Bomb' DoS), CVE-2026-50507 (BitLocker 'YellowKey' Bypass) and CVE-2026-45586 (Collaborative Translation Framework EoP)](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0732) — HIGH · 2026-06-09

## Sources

Enriched from CVE.org, NVD, FIRST EPSS, GitHub Security Advisories. Last verified by Threadlinqs on 2026-06-25. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

**Vendor advisory and patch**

- [msrc.microsoft.com — vendor advisory](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-42985)

Canonical: https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2026-42985
Full detection coverage and IOCs for threats exploiting CVE-2026-42985 via the Threadlinqs MCP server (Purple tier): https://intel.threadlinqs.com/mcp