CVE-2026-5053 NoMachine External Control of File Path Arbitrary File Deletion Vulnerability

High 7.1 Published 11 Apr 2026 Updated 13 Apr 2026

Local attackers can delete arbitrary files as root due to improper path validation in NoMachine, requiring prior low-privileged code execution.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Any signed-in user
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2026-5053?

CVE-2026-5053 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in NoMachine, published on 11 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

NoMachine External Control of File Path Arbitrary File Deletion Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to delete arbitrary files on affected installations of NoMachine. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.

The specific flaw exists within the handling of environment variables. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied path prior to using it in file operations. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to delete files in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-28644.

Weakness: CWE-73

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-5053?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Nomachine Nomachine.

How do I fix CVE-2026-5053?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-5053 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.

Is CVE-2026-5053 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5053 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code: 1 proofs of concept on GitHub.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-75gg-gxqp-fq44.