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CVE-2026-53803VulnerabilityPublished Updated

rsync before 3.5.0 contains a symlink following vulnerability that allows local attackers to overwrite arbitrary files

Affects rsyncSource GCVE Database

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Authoritative record:CVE-2026-53803· High 8.5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.5 High · fixed in 3.5.0 : patch rsync soon.

Data as of 13 Nov 2026, 21:40 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score
8.5High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
Patch
Available – fixed in 3.5.0
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 13 Aug 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponized: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 13 Nov 2026.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSrsyncpkg:deb/ubuntu/rsync?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threatsAffected
  • 3.4.1+ds1-5ubuntu1 – 3.4.1+ds1-7ubuntu0.3
5 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSrsyncpkg:deb/ubuntu/rsync?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • 3.2.7-1 – 3.2.7-1ubuntu1.5
8 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 22.04 LTSrsyncpkg:deb/ubuntu/rsync?arch=source&distro=jammyOther threatsAffected
  • 3.2.3-4ubuntu1 – 3.2.7-0ubuntu0.22.04.7
11 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTSrsyncpkg:deb/ubuntu/rsync?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalOther threatsAffected
  • 3.1.3-6 – 3.1.3-8ubuntu0.9+esm2
12 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTSrsyncpkg:deb/ubuntu/rsync?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/bionicOther threatsAffected
  • 3.1.2-2 – 3.1.2-2.1ubuntu1.6+esm4
13 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTSrsyncpkg:deb/ubuntu/rsync?arch=source&distro=esm-infra-legacy/xenialOther threatsAffected
  • 3.1.1-3 – 3.1.1-3ubuntu1.3+esm6
11 affected builds
Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A fix is available in rsync version 3.5.0 and later. Users should upgrade to version 3.5.0 or newer to remediate this vulnerability. No vendor advisory content was provided to indicate alternative mitigations or that no action is required.

Description

A symlink following vulnerability in rsync versions before 3.5.0 allows local attackers to overwrite arbitrary files by placing symlinks at predictable output paths such as --log-file, --write-batch, or daemon-mode log and statistics paths. This flaw can lead to local privilege escalation on systems where rsync runs with elevated privileges, including setuid or privileged daemon configurations.

References

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