Critical Vulnerability in rsync: Remote Memory Disclosure and Local Privilege Escalation
Summary
RLSA-2026:26332: Important: rsync security, bug fix, and enhancement update. Affects rsync versions < 0:3.4.4-1.el10_2. Fixed in 0:3.4.4-1.el10_2. How to fix ↓
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Background
The rsync utility is a widely used tool for copying and synchronizing files both locally and over networks. It is known for its efficiency, as it only transfers the differences between files rather than the entire files, making it a popular choice for backups and mirroring. However, recent vulnerabilities have been identified that could compromise the security of systems using rsync, particularly in Rocky Linux 10.
Vulnerability Detail
Two significant vulnerabilities have been discovered in rsync: CVE-2026-43618, which allows for remote memory disclosure due to an integer overflow in compressed-token decoding, and CVE-2026-29518, which presents a TOCTOU symlink race condition that could enable local privilege escalation in daemon mode without chroot. These vulnerabilities could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data and system privileges, posing a serious risk to affected systems.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
0:3.4.4-1.el10_2
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo dnf update rsyncTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary measure, users can disable the rsync daemon mode or avoid using symlinks in their file transfers until the package is updated. However, this is not a permanent solution and should only be used until the update can be applied.
Conclusion
The vulnerabilities identified in rsync pose significant risks to systems running Rocky Linux 10. It is crucial for users to update to the latest patched version to safeguard against potential exploits. Regular monitoring and vulnerability management practices, such as using tools like Vulert, can help maintain system security.
See every vulnerability recorded for rsync →
FAQ
rsync is a utility for efficiently transferring and synchronizing files across systems, using a delta-transfer algorithm to minimize data transfer.
The vulnerabilities could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data and local privilege escalation, allowing attackers to gain higher-level access to the system.
You can use Vulert, which monitors open-source vulnerabilities in your software. By checking your manifest file like package-lock.json, you can identify if your application is affected.
Disabling the rsync daemon mode or avoiding symlinks in file transfers can serve as temporary workarounds until the package is updated.
The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 8.1, indicating a high severity level that requires immediate attention.
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