Local privilege escalation via raced metadata application
Published Aug 13, 2026 · Updated Aug 13, 2026
A symlink race in rsync before 3.5.0 allows local users to apply attacker-chosen ACLs or extended attributes outside the destination tree. The receiver resolves a destination pathname again when acl_set_file() or setxattr() applies metadata, allowing a writable path component to be replaced with a symlink after file creation. Exploitation requires ACL or xattr preservation and winning the timing window; redirected ACLs can grant access to a privileged file, while a raced FIFO can block processing.
Summary
What happened
A symlink race in rsync before 3.5.0 allows local users to apply attacker-chosen ACLs or extended attributes outside the destination tree. The receiver resolves a destination pathname again when acl_set_file() or setxattr() applies metadata, allowing a writable path component to be replaced with a symlink after file creation. Exploitation requires ACL or xattr preservation and winning the timing window; redirected ACLs can grant access to a privileged file, while a raced FIFO can block processing.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-53799
- Published
- Aug 13, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 13, 2026
- Vendor
- Rsync Project
- Product
- rsync
- Classifications
- CWE-367, CWE-59, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 13, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <=3.4.4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo