CVE-2026-53803
rsync before 3.5.0 contains a symlink following vulnerability that allows local attackers to overwrite arbitrary files by placing a symlink
CVSS
7.8
High
EPSS
—
KEV
—
Exploit Today
—
0-100
Published: Aug 13, 2026 · Last modified: Aug 14, 2026 · CWE-59
Not enough EPSS history yet.
rsync before 3.5.0 contains a symlink following vulnerability that allows local attackers to overwrite arbitrary files by placing a symlink at a predictable output path such as --log-file, --write-batch, or daemon-mode log and statistics paths. Attackers can exploit rsync's failure to reject symlinks during ancillary file writes to redirect output to arbitrary filesystem locations, achieving local privilege escalation on installations where rsync runs with elevated privileges such as setuid or privileged daemon configurations.
CVECVSSEPSSKEVRExploitTitleMod.
CVE-2026-704608.1 HIG—
———rsync 2.3.3 before 3.5.0 contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows a malicious sender to escape the module root by exploiting symlinks within the module file tree when using --partial-dir or --backup-dir options. Attackers with write access to place a symlink under the module root, or who can exploit a pre-existing trusted symlink, can direct file writes to locations outside the intended module root, achieving arbitrary file write relative to the module root parent.5hCVE-2026-538015.9 MED—
———rsync before 3.5.0 contains a symlink race condition vulnerability in the sender's directory scanning logic that allows attackers to cause the sender to enumerate and transfer files outside the module root's intended subtree. Attackers who can create or manipulate symlinks in a path component of the scanned tree can replace a symlink with a directory entry pointing outside the module root between the lstat() call and the subsequent opendir() call, exposing files beyond the intended root in both daemon-mode and non-daemon sender-side scanning.5hCVE-2026-538004.7 MED—
———rsync before 3.5.0 contains a symlink race condition vulnerability in the --remove-source-files feature that allows attackers with symlink creation access to cause arbitrary file deletion. Attackers can atomically substitute a symlink for a source file between transfer completion and the unlink() call, causing rsync to delete the symlink target rather than the intended source file.5hCVE-2026-537974.7 MED—
———rsync before 3.5.0 contains a symlink race condition vulnerability in the sender's source tree traversal that allows an attacker who can manipulate a parent directory of the source tree to redirect file reads to unintended paths. Attackers can atomically replace a parent directory component with a symlink pointing outside the source root between path resolution and file open operations to disclose file contents outside the intended transfer root.1dCVE-2026-537966.3 MED—
———rsync before 3.5.0 contains a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in the non-daemon receiver's destination directory handling that allows an attacker who can manipulate destination path parent components to redirect file writes to unintended locations. Attackers can substitute a symlink for a component of the destination path between the path resolution and chdir() call, causing the receiver's working directory to be established outside the intended destination tree so that subsequent relative-path file writes land in unintended filesystem locations.5hCVE-2026-537937.4 HIG—
———rsync before 3.5.0 contains a path confinement bypass vulnerability that allows remote clients to escape the intended inner-module root confinement by constructing paths that resolve outside the chroot boundary when the module root contains a /./ boundary marker. Attackers can exploit improper handling of the /./ notation or forge delta-basis transfers referencing xname paths that cross the /./ boundary to gain unauthorized read or write access to files outside the module's subtree.5h