rsync < 3.5.0 Symlink Race Condition Information Disclosure
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 8 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-59 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
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.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA rsync (RsyncProject) Fixed in 3.5.0
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI) | Affected | — |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-53797
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
More Samba Rsync vulnerabilities
- TI-2024-11208 Rsync: heap buffer overflow in rsync due to improper checksum length handling CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-11209 Rsync: info leak via uninitialized stack contents CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2024-11212 Rsync: --safe-links option bypass leads to path traversal CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2024-11211 Rsync: path traversal vulnerability in rsync CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2024-11210 Rsync: rsync server leaks arbitrary client files CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.8
- TI-2017-12160 The receive_xattr function in xattrs.c in rsync 3.1.2 and 3.1.3-development does not… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-53797 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-53797 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2026-53797 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences