CVE-2026-53784
Description
A flaw was found in rsync. This path traversal vulnerability allows remote clients to access files outside the intended module root. This occurs when the use chroot option is disabled and the module root path, or a component of it, is a symbolic link. The rsync daemon fails to resolve symlinks during session initialization, causing subsequent operations to reference files relative to the symlink target, leading to unauthorized file access.
Statement
This is an Important flaw. The rsync daemon is vulnerable to unauthorized file access via path traversal when configured with a symlinked module root and the use chroot option is explicitly disabled. This configuration is not default, but if present, a local attacker with low privileges could exploit this to read or write files outside the intended module root.
Mitigation
To mitigate this vulnerability, ensure that the `use chroot` option is enabled in the rsync daemon configuration. If `use chroot` cannot be enabled, avoid using symlinks as the module root path or any of its components in the rsync daemon configuration. After modifying the rsync configuration, restart the rsync service for the changes to take effect.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.1 | N/A | 7.1 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality,Integrity,Access Control
Technical Impact: Read Files or Directories; Modify Files or Directories; Bypass Protection Mechanism
An attacker may be able to traverse the file system to unintended locations and read or overwrite the contents of unexpected files. If the files are used for a security mechanism then an attacker may be able to bypass the mechanism.
Other
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Windows simple shortcuts, sometimes referred to as soft links, can be exploited remotely since a ".LNK" file can be uploaded like a normal file. This can enable remote execution.
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