CVE-2026-53783: rsync < 3.5.0 TOCTOU Race Condition Directory Escape via rrsync

Severity: high (CVSS 8.1 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.4% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-08-13 · updated 2026-10-24
Weakness: CWE-59

Description

rsync before 3.5.0 contains a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in the rrsync restricted shell wrapper that allows authenticated clients to escape enforced directory restrictions by substituting a symlink for a path component after validation but before transfer processing. Attackers can additionally leverage unrestricted flags such as --copy-unsafe-links, -D, and --log-file through rrsync to read or write files outside the permitted directory subtree.

Affected products

RsyncProject rsync: through 3.4.4

References

https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.5.0
https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/security/advisories/GHSA-9cgc-64g4-3gv5
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/rsync-toctou-race-condition-directory-escape-via-rrsync

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