CVE-2026-53800: CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') in RsyncProject rsync
CVE-2026-53800 is a symlink race condition vulnerability in rsync versions up to 3.4.4 affecting the --remove-source-files feature. It allows an attacker with the ability to create symlinks to cause arbitrary file deletion by substituting a symlink for a source file between transfer completion and the unlink() call. This can lead to unintended deletion of files pointed to by the symlink target rather than the intended source file.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability in rsync before version 3.5.0 involves a symlink race condition in the --remove-source-files feature. An attacker who can create symlinks can atomically replace a source file with a symlink after the file transfer completes but before rsync calls unlink() to remove the source file. This causes rsync to delete the symlink target instead of the original source file, enabling arbitrary file deletion.
Potential Impact
An attacker with symlink creation privileges can exploit this vulnerability to delete arbitrary files on the system by manipulating the unlink operation in rsync. This could lead to data loss or disruption depending on which files are deleted. The CVSS 4.0 score is 5.7 (medium severity), reflecting the requirement for local access with low privileges and high attack complexity.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, avoid running rsync with the --remove-source-files option in untrusted environments or restrict symlink creation permissions to trusted users only.
CVE-2026-53800: CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') in RsyncProject rsync
Description
CVE-2026-53800 is a symlink race condition vulnerability in rsync versions up to 3.4.4 affecting the --remove-source-files feature. It allows an attacker with the ability to create symlinks to cause arbitrary file deletion by substituting a symlink for a source file between transfer completion and the unlink() call. This can lead to unintended deletion of files pointed to by the symlink target rather than the intended source file.
CVSS v4.0
Score 5.7medium
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 a symlink race condition in the --remove-source-files feature. An attacker who can create symlinks can atomically replace a source file with a symlink after the file transfer completes but before rsync calls unlink() to remove the source file. This causes rsync to delete the symlink target instead of the original source file, enabling arbitrary file deletion.
Potential Impact
An attacker with symlink creation privileges can exploit this vulnerability to delete arbitrary files on the system by manipulating the unlink operation in rsync. This could lead to data loss or disruption depending on which files are deleted. The CVSS 4.0 score is 5.7 (medium severity), reflecting the requirement for local access with low privileges and high attack complexity.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, avoid running rsync with the --remove-source-files option in untrusted environments or restrict symlink creation permissions to trusted users only.
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: 6a7ddec6bf8831d5395cfd01
Added to database: 08/13/2026, 15:12:06 UTC
Last enriched: 08/21/2026, 13:38:32 UTC
Last updated: 09/29/2026, 01:47:42 UTC
Views: 38
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