Vulnerability · Published Aug 13, 2026 · Assigned by VulnCheck
CVE-2026-53803rsync < 3.5.0 Symlink Following Arbitrary File Overwrite
High 7.8
In plain English
A high-severity security flaw in rsync from RsyncProject. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 14% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
Official description
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.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlmaLinux:10 | rsync | 3.5.0-3.el10_2 | ALSA-2026:67463 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | rsync | 3.1.3-28.el8_10 | ALSA-2026:74095 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | rsync | 3.2.7-1.el9_8 | ALSA-2026:67462 |
| AlmaLinux:10 | rsync-daemon | 3.5.0-3.el10_2 | ALSA-2026:67463 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | rsync-daemon | 3.1.3-28.el8_10 | ALSA-2026:74095 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | rsync-daemon | 3.2.7-1.el9_8 | ALSA-2026:67462 |
| AlmaLinux:10 | rsync-rrsync | 3.5.0-3.el10_2 | ALSA-2026:67463 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | rsync-rrsync | 3.2.7-1.el9_8 | ALSA-2026:67462 |
| Alpine:v3.21 | rsync | 3.5.0-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Alpine:v3.22 | rsync | 3.5.0-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Alpine:v3.23 | rsync | 3.5.0-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Alpine:v3.24 | rsync | 3.5.0-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Debian:12 | rsync | no fix listed | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Debian:13 | rsync | 3.5.0+ds1-0+deb13u1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Debian:14 | rsync | 3.5.0+ds1-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Rocky Linux:10 | rsync | 0:3.5.0-3.el10_2 | RLSA-2026:67463 |
| Rocky Linux:8 | rsync | 0:3.1.3-28.el8_10 | RLSA-2026:74095 |
| Rocky Linux:9 | rsync | 0:3.2.7-1.el9_8 | RLSA-2026:67462 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | rsync | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | rsync | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Ubuntu:26.04:LTS | rsync | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53803 |
| Ubuntu:26.10 | rsync | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53803 |
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| RsyncProject | rsync | 0 – through 3.4.4 |
Weakness: CWE-59 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-g9f4-7q66-9582) vendor-advisory
- rsync 3.5.0 Release Notes release-notes
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/rsync-symlink-following-arbitrary-file-overwrite third-party-advisory