CVE-2026-53790: CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') in RsyncProject rsync
rsync before 3.5.0 contains multiple command and argument injection vulnerabilities that allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands by supplying malicious input through several code paths, including the RSYNC_CONNECT_PROG environment variable, daemon hooks, the rsync-ssl wrapper, and remote-shell command newline injection. Attackers can inject shell metacharacters or newline characters into unsanitized user-supplied values such as hostnames and hostspecs to execute arbitrary commands under the privileges of the rsync process or the invoking user.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-53790 affects rsync versions up to and including 3.4.4. Multiple command and argument injection vulnerabilities exist due to improper sanitization of special characters in inputs such as the RSYNC_CONNECT_PROG environment variable, daemon hooks, the rsync-ssl wrapper, and remote-shell command newline injection. Attackers can inject shell metacharacters or newline characters into unsanitized user-supplied values like hostnames and hostspecs, enabling arbitrary command execution under the privileges of the rsync process or the invoking user. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command).
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands with the privileges of the rsync process or the user invoking rsync. This can lead to full system compromise depending on the privileges of the affected process. The vulnerability is critical with a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.2, indicating high impact and network attack vector with no user interaction required.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or patch links are provided in the available data. Until a patch is available, avoid exposing rsync services to untrusted users and inputs, and consider restricting or sanitizing environment variables and input parameters related to rsync invocations.
CVE-2026-53790: CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') in RsyncProject rsync
Description
rsync before 3.5.0 contains multiple command and argument injection vulnerabilities that allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands by supplying malicious input through several code paths, including the RSYNC_CONNECT_PROG environment variable, daemon hooks, the rsync-ssl wrapper, and remote-shell command newline injection. Attackers can inject shell metacharacters or newline characters into unsanitized user-supplied values such as hostnames and hostspecs to execute arbitrary commands under the privileges of the rsync process or the invoking user.
CVSS v4.0
Score 9.2critical
Affected software
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Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-53790 affects rsync versions up to and including 3.4.4. Multiple command and argument injection vulnerabilities exist due to improper sanitization of special characters in inputs such as the RSYNC_CONNECT_PROG environment variable, daemon hooks, the rsync-ssl wrapper, and remote-shell command newline injection. Attackers can inject shell metacharacters or newline characters into unsanitized user-supplied values like hostnames and hostspecs, enabling arbitrary command execution under the privileges of the rsync process or the invoking user. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command).
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands with the privileges of the rsync process or the user invoking rsync. This can lead to full system compromise depending on the privileges of the affected process. The vulnerability is critical with a CVSS 4.0 score of 9.2, indicating high impact and network attack vector with no user interaction required.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or patch links are provided in the available data. Until a patch is available, avoid exposing rsync services to untrusted users and inputs, and consider restricting or sanitizing environment variables and input parameters related to rsync invocations.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- VulnCheck
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-10T20:14:32.827Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a7ddec4bf8831d5395cfc92
Added to database: 08/13/2026, 15:12:04 UTC
Last enriched: 08/13/2026, 15:45:28 UTC
Last updated: 08/13/2026, 18:40:40 UTC
Views: 7
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