CVE-2026-53789: rsync < 3.5.0 Arbitrary File Deletion via Malicious File List

High 7.1 EPSS 0.4% rsync

rsync before 3.5.0 contains an improper path handling vulnerability that allows a malicious sender to expand the scope of --delete operations beyond the intended destination subtree by sending a crafted file list that causes rsync to reclassify implied parent directory entries or treat synthetic paths as the transfer root. Attackers can exploit multiple variants including implied parent reclassification, synthetic root path construction, legacy protocol behavior below version 30, and non-directory root handling to cause the receiver to delete files outside the authorized destination directory.

CVE-2026-53789CVE identifier
7.1CVSS 4.0 base score (high)
0.4%EPSS: chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (higher than 30% of CVEs)
2026-08-13published

What do these terms mean? CVE · CVSS score · exploited (KEV) · EPSS · backported fix · all terms

What to do now

Check whether you run rsync and which version (commands below).
Install the fixed version for your system: see “Patch it” below.
sudo systemctl restart rsync (only if rsyncd runs as a daemon; client use needs no restart)

Affected and fixed versions

Affected:

RsyncProject rsync 3.4.4 and earlier

Patch it

Use the commands for your system. Distribution packages often keep an older version number with the fix backported, so compare with the fixed package versions in the table below, not only with the upstream version.

Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade rsync

Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade rsync

RHEL, AlmaLinux, Rocky, Oracle

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh rsync

Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh rsync

SUSE / openSUSE

sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update rsync

Amazon Linux

sudo dnf upgrade --releasever=latest rsync

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -Syu

Alpine

apk update && apk upgrade rsync

FreeBSD

pkg update && pkg upgrade rsync

General update steps for every system are on the Linux and Unix & BSD pages; after updating, see which services to restart.

Fix status in Linux distributions

Release	Package	Status	Fixed version / advisory
Debian 12	`rsync`	not fixed yet
Debian 13	`rsync`	fixed	`3.5.0+ds1-0+deb13u1`
Debian testing	`rsync`	fixed	`3.5.0+ds1-1`
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9	`rsync-0:3.2.7-1.el9_8`	fixed	`RHSA-2026:67462`
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8	`rsync-0:3.1.3-28.el8_10`	fixed	`RHSA-2026:74095`
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7	`rsync`	affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6	`rsync`	affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10	`rsync-0:3.5.0-3.el10_2`	fixed	`RHSA-2026:67463`

From the Debian security tracker, Ubuntu CVE tracker and Red Hat Security Data API, refreshed every few hours.

Sources

Page generated automatically from official sources on 2026-11-03 18:05 UTC. Always confirm with your vendor's advisory.