CVE-2026-53798: CWE-704 Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast in RsyncProject rsync
CVE-2026-53798 is a privilege confusion vulnerability in rsync versions up to 3.4.4. It arises from incorrect handling of uid/gid lookups in the name-converter subprocess, where empty responses are misinterpreted as root (uid/gid 0). This flaw allows local attackers to cause transferred files to be owned by root by manipulating name-converter responses. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-704 (Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast) and has a medium severity with a CVSS score of 6.9.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability in rsync before version 3.5.0 involves the name-converter subprocess used for uid/gid mapping. When this subprocess returns an empty response for a uid or gid lookup, rsync incorrectly treats it as a successful resolution to uid/gid 0 (root) instead of a failure. If the name-converter also signals fake super-user status, rsync proceeds to assign root ownership to transferred files. This is a privilege confusion issue caused by improper type conversion or casting, allowing local attackers to escalate privileges on the system by influencing file ownership during transfers.
Potential Impact
Local attackers can exploit this vulnerability to cause files transferred by rsync to be owned by root, potentially leading to unauthorized privilege escalation or unauthorized file access. This could undermine system security by granting elevated permissions to files that should not have them.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. There is no official fix or patch link provided at this time. Users should monitor the RsyncProject advisories for updates and consider restricting local access to trusted users until a fix is available.
CVE-2026-53798: CWE-704 Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast in RsyncProject rsync
Description
CVE-2026-53798 is a privilege confusion vulnerability in rsync versions up to 3.4.4. It arises from incorrect handling of uid/gid lookups in the name-converter subprocess, where empty responses are misinterpreted as root (uid/gid 0). This flaw allows local attackers to cause transferred files to be owned by root by manipulating name-converter responses. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-704 (Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast) and has a medium severity with a CVSS score of 6.9.
CVSS v4.0
Score 6.9medium
Affected software
RsyncProject
rsync
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Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability in rsync before version 3.5.0 involves the name-converter subprocess used for uid/gid mapping. When this subprocess returns an empty response for a uid or gid lookup, rsync incorrectly treats it as a successful resolution to uid/gid 0 (root) instead of a failure. If the name-converter also signals fake super-user status, rsync proceeds to assign root ownership to transferred files. This is a privilege confusion issue caused by improper type conversion or casting, allowing local attackers to escalate privileges on the system by influencing file ownership during transfers.
Potential Impact
Local attackers can exploit this vulnerability to cause files transferred by rsync to be owned by root, potentially leading to unauthorized privilege escalation or unauthorized file access. This could undermine system security by granting elevated permissions to files that should not have them.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. There is no official fix or patch link provided at this time. Users should monitor the RsyncProject advisories for updates and consider restricting local access to trusted users until a fix is available.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- VulnCheck
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-10T20:14:32.828Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a7ddec6bf8831d5395cfcf7
Added to database: 08/13/2026, 15:12:06 UTC
Last enriched: 08/21/2026, 13:38:24 UTC
Last updated: 09/27/2026, 13:47:45 UTC
Views: 49
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