# CVE-2026-53802: rsync < 3.5.0 Arbitrary File Read via Symlink Following

> Attackers can read arbitrary files accessible to the rsync daemon by exploiting symlink following in configuration file handling.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 13 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 14 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2026-53802, AZL-95810, BELL-CVE-2026-53802, CLSA-2026-1791385638, CLSA-2026-1791386039, CLSA-2026-1791386404, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53802, ECHO-2077-1568-c26e, GHSA-4mfr-8jrv-49x4, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-53802, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53802

## What is CVE-2026-53802?

CVE-2026-53802 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in RsyncProject rsync, published on 13 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

rsync before 3.5.0 contains an arbitrary file read vulnerability that allows attackers to read files accessible to the rsync daemon process by exploiting symlink following in input configuration file handling including --files-from, --password-file, and filter merge files. Attackers can place a symlink at a predictable --files-from or --password-file path, or supply a --files-from path that escapes the daemon module root, to read arbitrary files accessible to the rsync process.

Weakness: CWE-61 (UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53802?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Samba Rsync.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-53802?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-53802 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53802 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in RsyncProject rsync

- [CVE-2017-15994](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-15994/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-53791](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53791/): rsync < 3.5.0 Daemon IP Spoofing via PROXY Protocol Header (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2026-70461](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-70461/): rsync 3.2.5 < 3.5.0 Heap Out-of-Bounds Write via files-from Entry (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-70455](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-70455/): rsync 3.4.2 < 3.5.0 DoS via --zt Zstandard Compression Thread Exhaustion (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2026-70463](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-70463/): rsync 3.1.0 < 3.5.0 Authorization Bypass via auth users Directive Parsing (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-53802 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-53802 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in RsyncProject rsync, published on 13 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53802 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: RsyncProject rsync. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53802/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53802/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53802
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53802
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53802

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53802/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.