rsync < 3.5.0 Symlink Race Condition Information Disclosure
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.
- Published
- Aug 13, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 31, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 2th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-59
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Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.7 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.1%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · VulnCheck
- 5.7
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| samba | rsync | cpe:2.3:a:samba:rsync |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- samba rsyncbefore 3.5.0
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (VulnCheck). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
RsyncProject rsync
- 3.5.0not affected
- up to and including 3.4.4affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.21 | rsync | before 3.5.0-r0 | 3.5.0-r0 |
| Debian:12 | rsync | all versions | — |
| Debian:13 | rsync | before 3.5.0+ds1-0+deb13u1 | 3.5.0+ds1-0+deb13u1 |
| Debian:14 | rsync | before 3.5.0+ds1-1 | 3.5.0+ds1-1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | rsync | before 3.5.1-1.1 | 3.5.1-1.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | rsync | before 3.2.3-150400.3.34.1 | 3.2.3-150400.3.34.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | rsync | before 3.2.7-150600.3.24.1 | 3.2.7-150600.3.24.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0 | rsync | before 3.2.7-8.1 | 3.2.7-8.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Micro 6.1 | rsync | before 3.3.0-slfo.1.1_7.1 | 3.3.0-slfo.1.1_7.1 |
Same product
samba: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2024-12084Rsync: heap buffer overflow in rsync due to improper checksum length handling61This week
- CVE-2017-16548The receive_xattr function in xattrs.c in rsync 3.1.2 and 3.1.3-development does not check for a trailing '\0' character in an xattr name, w41Plan
- CVE-2017-17434The daemon in rsync 3.1.2, and 3.1.3-development before 2017-12-03, does not check for fnamecmp filenames in the daemon_filter_list data str40Plan
- CVE-2017-15994rsync 3.1.3-development before 2017-10-24 mishandles archaic checksums, which makes it easier for remote attackers to bypass intended access39Monitor
- CVE-2026-53791rsync < 3.5.0 Daemon IP Spoofing via PROXY Protocol Header36Monitor
- CVE-2026-70461rsync 3.2.5 < 3.5.0 Heap Out-of-Bounds Write via files-from Entry35Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| alpine:rsync | 3.5.0-r0 · Alpine:v3.21 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:rsync | 3.5.0+ds1-0+deb13u1 · Debian:13 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:rsync | 3.5.1-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:rsync | 3.2.7-8.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2026-538030 days apartrsync < 3.5.0 Symlink Following Arbitrary File Overwrite34Monitor
- CVE-2026-537840 days apartrsync < 3.5.0 Path Traversal via Symlink Module Root33Monitor
- CVE-2026-538010 days apartrsync < 3.5.0 Symlink Race Condition Directory Traversal32Monitor
- CVE-2026-537950 days apartrsync < 3.5.0 Arbitrary File Write via --temp-dir/--link-dest28Monitor
- CVE-2026-537990 days apartrsync < 3.5.0 Symlink Race Condition via ACL/xattr Application28Monitor
- CVE-2026-4361986 days apartRsync < 3.4.3 Symlink Race Condition via Path-Based Syscalls28Monitor
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- X
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-59 · Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
- Obfuscated Files or Information: HTML SmugglingT1027.006
- Obfuscated Files or Information: Embedded PayloadsT1027.009
- Boot or Logon Autostart Execution:Shortcut ModificationT1547.009
- Hide Artifacts: Resource ForkingT1564.009
- Hijack Execution Flow: Executable Installer File Permissions WeaknessT1574.005
- Hijack Execution Flow: Services File Permissions WeaknessT1574.010
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.5.0
- github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/security/advisories/GHSA-3jj3-qvc7-jp6x
- www.vulncheck.com/advisories/rsync-symlink-race-condition-information-disclosure
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.