High [CVE-2026-70460] rsync 2.3.3 < 3.5.0 Path Traversal via --partial-dir/--backup-dir Symlink
This high-severity Red Hat Linux advisory covers CVE-2026-70460 affecting Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
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Summary
rsync 2.3.3 before 3.5.0 contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows a malicious sender to escape the module root by exploiting symlinks within the module file tree when using --partial-dir or --backup-dir options.
Attackers with write access to place a symlink under the module root, or who can exploit a pre-existing trusted symlink, can direct file writes to locations outside the intended module root, achieving arbitrary file write relative to the module root parent.
A path traversal and symlink vulnerability in rsync allows a malicious sender with write access to write files outside the intended directory.
By exploiting symbolic links in conjunction with the --partial-dir or --backup-dir options, an attacker can bypass path restrictions to modify arbitrary system files, compromising system integrity Red Hat severity: Important — CVSS 8.1 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). Weakness: CWE-59.
Affected Red Hat products: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8; Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4. Red Hat fixing advisory: RHSA-2026:67463, RHSA-2026:67462.
Affected products named by the advisory: Red Hat package: rsync.
- < 2.3.3
- < 3.5.0
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 12 days ago·verify at source
- 3.5.0
- rsync-0:3.5.0-3.el10_2
- rsync-0:3.2.7-1.el9_8
- RHSA-2026:67463
- RHSA-2026:67462
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 12 days ago·verify at source
Mitigation checklist
- Disable the rsyncd daemon if it is unused (systemctl disable --now rsyncd), or strictly limit TCP/873 access to trusted clients via firewall rules. Within rsyncd.conf, block the exploit vectors directly by setting refuse options = partial-dir backup-dir and maintain defense-in-depth by enforcing use chroot = yes. Finally, ensure no root- or daemon-owned symlinks point outside your module paths, and avoid using the vulnerable flags when operating as a client against untrusted sources.
Official advisory · high-confidence parse· fetched 12 days ago·verify at source
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