Symlink Following Vulnerability in rsync Affects Local File Security

CVE-2026-53803

What is CVE-2026-53803?

Rsync versions earlier than 3.5.0 are susceptible to a symlink following flaw that permits local attackers to overwrite arbitrary files. By strategically placing a symlink at a predictable output path, such as within command options like --log-file, --write-batch, or daemon-mode logging and statistics paths, attackers can exploit rsync's inability to correctly handle symlinks during ancillary file operations. This can lead to unauthorized file modifications and can result in local privilege escalation on systems where rsync operates with elevated privileges, including configurations that use setuid or are run by privileged daemons.

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