CVE-2026-53799
MEDIUMDescription
rsync before 3.5.0 contains a symlink race condition vulnerability that allows local attackers to cause rsync to apply arbitrary ACLs or extended attributes to unintended files by substituting a symlink at a predictable destination path between the file write and the subsequent acl_set_file() or lsetxattr() call. Attackers can exploit this timing window to redirect ACL and xattr application through a crafted symlink to files outside the intended destination tree, potentially granting elevated permissions and enabling local privilege escalation.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 1% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-59 (Link Following) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2022-30333 | High | 7.5 | 99% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2021-21300 | High | 8.0 | 89% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2021-32610 | High | 7.1 | 73% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2020-36193 | High | 7.5 | 71% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2023-40028 | Medium | 4.9 | 69% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2023-36874 | High | 7.8 | 43% | KEV | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-53799?
Upgrade rsync on debian unstable to 3.5.0+ds1-1 or later.
Is CVE-2026-53799 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-53799 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.09% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 1% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-53799?
CVE-2026-53799 has a CVSS v3 base score of 6.3, rated moderate. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2026-53799 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for rsync (Debian). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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Markdown
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-08-26.