X Window System Remote Desktop Protocol (xRDP)

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	X Window System Remote Desktop Protocol (xRDP) allows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) clients to be presented an X windows desktop on an open source RDP server that provides a fully functional Linux terminal server, capable of accepting connections from rdesktop, freerdp, and Microsoft`s remote desktop clients. This entry covers the Desktop Edition of this technology and not any mobile versions. Please note that the implementation of mobile technology applications that operate on Mobile Operating Systems must be reviewed and approved by the Mobile Technology and Endpoint Security Engineering Team: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITMT/SitePages/MTHome.aspx
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.6
Decision Date:	06/26/2024 at 16:14:51 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Neutrinolabs

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
0.6.1	11/09/2013
0.9.1	12/22/2016
0.9.2	03/30/2017
0.9.3	09/18/2017
0.9.6	03/26/2018
0.9.7	06/29/2018
0.9.8	09/25/2018
0.9.9	12/25/2018
0.9.10	04/18/2019
0.9.13	03/11/2020
0.9.23.x	09/27/2023
0.9.25.x	03/13/2024
0.9.26

Current Decision Matrix (06/24/2024)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2023

CY2024

CY2025

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

0.6.1

Unapproved

0.9.1

Unapproved

0.9.2

Unapproved

0.9.3

Unapproved

0.9.6

Unapproved

0.9.7

Unapproved

0.9.8

Unapproved

0.9.9

Unapproved

0.9.10

Unapproved

0.9.13

Divest
[6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]

Unapproved

0.9.23.x

Unapproved

0.9.25.x

Unapproved

Divest
[6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]

Unapproved

0.9.26

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]

Decision Constraints


[1]	1. There are other remote-control tools authorized for use in the VA. Please consult the Technical Reference Model (TRM) website for more information. If Windows tools included in the VA baseline configuration (e.g., Remote Desktop Connection, Windows Remote Assistance, IBM BigFix and Microsoft Skype for Business) do not satisfy the desired remote support functions, OI&Tshould consider investigating other technologies approved for use within VA.

[2]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[3]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[4]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[5]	New installations or major expansions of this technology that transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN) must complete a WAN impact review (contact VA e-mail: [OIT ITOPS SD Engagement Requests]) prior to implementation to ensure proper compliance to VA network design and usage requirements.

[6]	New installations or major expansions of this technology that transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN) must complete a WAN impact review (yourIT Service Portal:[SNOW Service Requests]) prior to implementation to ensure proper compliance to VA network design and usage requirements.

[7]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[8]	Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Recent previous versions of this software contain vulnerabilities rated as high by NIST. Research should be conducted on specific version deployment to ensure any published vulnerabilities have been mitigated. There are other remote-control tools authorized for use in the VA. Please consult the Technical Reference Model (TRM) website for more information. If Windows tools included in the VA baseline configuration (e.g., Remote Desktop Connection, Windows Remote Assistance, IBM BigFix and Microsoft Skype for Business) do not satisfy the desired remote support functions, OI&T should consider investigating other technologies approved for use within VA.

[9]	This technology has received one or more VA security bulletins that provide specific guidance on vulnerability patching and mitigation. It is the responsibility of VA system owners to ensure that the appropriate mitigations are taken to address all known and future discovered vulnerabilities with this product. See the Reference tab for more information on security bulletins related to this product.

[10]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[11]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[12]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[13]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

[14]	Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Security Engineering (SE) conducted a pre-assessment and security requirements verification of xRDP. It is advised that if this product is used within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the following constraints are applied: Recent versions of this software contain vulnerabilities rated as critical, high, and medium impact by NIST. Research should be conducted on specific version deployment to ensure any published vulnerabilities have been mitigated.

[15]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 0.9.26 is the most current version, released 06/20/2024.

The versioning schema of this technology changed with the release of version 0.9.23.1.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
X. Org Server Window System Remote Desktop Protocol (xorgxrdp)	X. Org Server Window System Remote Desktop Protocol (xorgxrdp) is a collection of modules to be used with a pre-existing X.Org install to make the X server act like X11rdp. Unlike X11rdp, users don`t have to recompile the whole X Window System. Instead, additional modules are installed to a location where the existing Xorg installation would pick them. xorgxrdp is to be used in conjunction with X Window System Remote Desktop Protocol (xRDP) and X.Org Server. At the time of writing, version 0.10.1 is the most current version.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Systems Management Systems Management Tools	Remote Desktop Management

Open Source

This entry is available as an open source technology.

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

No runtime dependencies have been identified.

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

C++ Programming Language

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a well-documented technology.
This technology is available at no cost through open source licensing and supports VA`s open source initiative.

Adoption Risks

The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.
This technology may transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN).
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
As open-source software, this product may be left without clearly defined support options which may result in suboptimal enterprise level support.
There are Threat & Assessment Analysis Portal (TAAP) bulletins associated with this technology.
There are published vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-42822 and CVE-2023-40184) that are rated as medium in the NIST National Vulnerability Database as well as multiple critical and high entries from 2022.
This application was not chosen for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Workstation Baseline configuration.
There is no indication based on either the vendor documentation or the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.

Architectural Risks

This technology is not portable as it runs only on Linux operating systems.

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Decision Constraints

References

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VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

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Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

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Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

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Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Risks

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