rsync <3.5.0 Symlink Race in Sender Directory Scanning
CVE-2026-53801 Published on August 13, 2026
rsync < 3.5.0 Symlink Race Condition Directory Traversal
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.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-53801 can be exploited with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is consided to have a high level of attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality and integrity and availability.
Weakness Types
What is an insecure temporary file Vulnerability?
The software attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
CVE-2026-53801 has been classified to as an insecure temporary file vulnerability or weakness.
What is a TOCTTOU Vulnerability?
The software checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check. This can cause the software to perform invalid actions when the resource is in an unexpected state. This weakness can be security-relevant when an attacker can influence the state of the resource between check and use. This can happen with shared resources such as files, memory, or even variables in multithreaded programs.
CVE-2026-53801 has been classified to as a TOCTTOU vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-53801
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Affected Versions
RsyncProject rsync:- Before and including 3.4.4 is affected.
- Version 3.5.0 is unaffected.