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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-88016High confidence

rclone: Directory metadata (chmod/chown/chtimes) applied through a planted symlink in rclone local --links escapes the destination

rclone · rclone

Official source article: GitHub GHSA-F8G7-2XJC-7MFH ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.

7.1HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Patch only the product branches with a verified fix

High technical severity with public exploit material referenced by a structured source; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 3 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Fix availability varies by product
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:Critical, raised one band.upgradedsince 15 Sep 2026

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • A structured source references public exploit or proof-of-concept material.
  • EPSS is 0.19% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Increase monitoring for the attack path and post-exploitation behaviour described in the report.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs rclone rclone and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 3 daysRemediation target: Within 90 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Cross-source reconciliation

Remediation availability differs by product scope

Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 3 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Distribution package intelligence

Release-specific package status

Debian, ubuntu findings are scoped to the named distribution, release and source package. An absent finding does not mean a package is unaffected.

4 package states
Package result overrides the generic status

BlackTree has verified remediation for at least one product or source, but the relevant distribution still reports no fixed package for 3 affected package states shown here. Treat those rows as affected with no fix until that distribution publishes a fixed version.

Repository candidate not checked

A published vendor fix does not prove that a matching update is enabled and installable on a particular asset. Confirm the local package candidate before scheduling remediation.

Distribution releaseSource packageVendor stateFixed versionEvidence
Debian trixietrixie · sourcercloneAffected, no fix publishedDebian currently tracks this release as open.Not published in this feedDebian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 5 Oct 2026
Debian bookwormbookworm · sourcercloneAffected, no fix publishedDebian currently tracks this release as open.Not published in this feedDebian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 5 Oct 2026
Debian sidsid · sourcercloneAffected, no fix publishedDebian currently tracks this release as open.Not published in this feedDebian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 5 Oct 2026
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSnoble · esm-appsrcloneUnder evaluationCanonical reports that the package might be affected and still needs evaluation or fixing.Not published in this feedCanonical Ubuntu Security ↗Source updated 5 Oct 2026
Open-source package ranges3 source-attributed ranges

These OSV and GitHub advisory ranges apply only to the named package and ecosystem. A listed fixed version is not a universal product patch or proof that an update is installed.

Ecosystem and packageAffected rangeFirst fixed versionEvidence
Gogithub.com/rclone/rcloneSEMVER: introduced 0; fixed 1.75.11.75.1OSV record ↗aggregator derived · 25 Sep 2026
Gogithub.com/rclone/rcloneSEMVER: introduced 0; fixed 1.75.11.75.1OSV record ↗aggregator derived · 17 Sep 2026
gogithub.com/rclone/rclone<= 1.75.01.75.1GitHub advisory ↗upstream repository advisory · 10 Sep 2026
Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
CVE-2026-88016 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securityrclone: rclone: Directory metadata escape via planted symlink allows unauthorized file modification
1 known not affected

The vendor explicitly states that these products are not affected by this CVE.

  • All currently supported Red Hat products
Summary
A flaw was found in rclone. When the backend/local component operates with the --links option, a specially crafted .rclonelink object from the source can create a symbolic link (symlink) in the destination. Subsequently, directory metadata operations, such as changing ownership, permissions, or modification times, are applied through this planted symlink. This allows an attacker controlling the source contents to modify the ownership, permissions, or timestamps of files or directories outside the intended destination, potentially leading to unauthorized data modification or privilege escalation.
Remediation
No remediation text is recorded.
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-75576

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.75.1, when backend/local runs with --links, a source .rclonelink object can plant a symlink in the destination and later directory metadata is applied through that path. MkdirMetadata, writeMetadataToFile, and setTimes operate when Directory.translatedLink=false, so os.Chown, os.Chmod, os.Chtimes, and birth-time handling can bypass os.Root confinement and follow the symlink. An attacker controlling source contents can therefore apply selected ownership, permissions, modification times, or birth times to a file or directory outside the destination, with --metadata required for chmod and chown while modification time is applied by the normal directory workflow. This issue is fixed in version 1.75.1.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
7.1 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionPatch only the product branches with a verified fix

High technical severity with public exploit material referenced by a structured source; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 3 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Fix availability varies by product
01

What, why and how

rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.75.1, when backend/local runs with --links, a source .rclonelink object can plant a symlink in the destination and later directory metadata is applied through that path. MkdirMetadata, writeMetadataToFile, and setTimes operate when Directory.translatedLink=false, so os.Chown, os.Chmod, os.Chtimes, and birth-time handling can bypass os.Root confinement and follow the symlink. An attacker controlling source contents can therefore apply selected ownership, permissions, modification times, or birth times to a file or directory outside the destination, with --metadata required for chmod and chown while modification time is applied by the normal directory workflow. This issue is fixed in version 1.75.1.

What

rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.75.1, when backend/local runs with --links, a source .rclonelink object can plant a symlink in the destination and later directory metadata is applied through that path. MkdirMetadata, writeMetadataToFile, and setTimes operate when Directory.translatedLink=false, so os.Chown, os.Chmod, os.Chtimes, and birth-time handling can bypass os.Root confinement and follow the symlink. An attacker controlling source contents can therefore apply selected ownership, permissions, modification times, or birth times to a file or directory outside the destination, with --metadata required for chmod and chown while modification time is applied by the normal directory workflow. This issue is fixed in version 1.75.1.

Why

The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.75.1, when backend/local runs with --links, a source .rclonelink object can plant a symlink in the destination and later directory metadata is applied through that path. MkdirMetadata, writeMetadataToFile, and setTimes operate when Directory.translatedLink=false, so os.Chown, os.Chmod, os.Chtimes, and birth-time handling can bypass os.Root confinement and follow the symlink. An attacker controlling source contents can therefore apply selected ownership, permissions, modification times, or birth times to a file or directory outside the destination, with --metadata required for chmod and chown while modification time is applied by the normal directory workflow. This issue is fixed in version 1.75.1.

Why

The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
Reference recorded

CISA Vulnrichment records proof-of-concept exploitation in its SSVC data. BlackTree has not independently executed or validated exploit material.

Likely attack path
a network path → Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
Low: a basic authenticated account is required
User interaction
Required interaction required
Attack complexity
High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
Security boundary
Changed: exploitation can affect a different security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-59 ↗

CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following'). The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:L

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRLowPrivileges required: The attacker needs basic user-level privileges.UIRequiredUser interaction: Another user must perform an action for exploitation to succeed.SChangedScope: The attack can affect a component governed by a different security authority.CLowConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.ALowAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkCWE-59Public exploit reference
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-75576Official EUVD mapping

rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.75.1, when backend/local runs with --links, a source .rclonelink object can plant a symlink in the destination and later directory metadata is applied through that path. MkdirMetadata, writeMetadataToFile, and setTimes operate when Directory.translatedLink=false, so os.Chown, os.Chmod, os.Chtimes, and birth-time handling can bypass os.Root confinement and follow the symlink. An attacker controlling source contents can therefore apply selected ownership, permissions, modification times, or birth times to a file or directory outside the destination, with --metadata required for chmod and chown while modification time is applied by the normal directory workflow. This issue is fixed in version 1.75.1.

Official EUVD record ↗
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore · English · CSA-SB-20260916Security Bulletin 16 Sep 2026

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore included this CVE in its official Security Bulletin 16 Sep 2026, published on 16 September 2026. Open the linked bulletin for the product, severity and reference information published in that issue.

Official advisory ↗
CSIRT Italia · Italian · rclone-poc-pubblici-per-lo-sfruttamento-delle-cve-2026-88018-cve-2026-88044-cve-2026-88045-cve-2026-88016-e-cve-2026-88017Rclone: PoC pubblici per lo sfruttamento delle CVE-2026-88018, CVE-2026-88044, CVE-2026-88045, CVE-2026-88016 e CVE-2026-88017

Nel dettaglio le vulnerabilità per le quali risulta disponibile in rete un “proof of concept”: La vulnerabilità identificata tramite la CVE-2026-88018, di tipo "Authentication Bypass" e con CVSS 3.1 pari a 9.8, è dovuta a una gestione non corretta del processo di autenticazione SigV4 nel servizio S3 di rclone quando viene utilizzata la funzionalità--auth-proxy senza configurare il parametro--auth-key. Un attaccante remoto non autenticato potrebbe sfruttare tale vulnerabilità predisponendo richieste S3 opportunamente firmate con chiavi arbitrarie al fine di eludere completamente i controlli di autenticazione, ottenere accesso non autorizzato alle risorse esposte dal servizio e compromettere la riservatezza e l'integrità dei dati gestiti. La vulnerabilità identificata tramite la CVE-2026-88045, di tipo "Denial of Service" e con CVSS 3.1 pari a 7.5, è dovuta all'assenza di adeguati controlli sulla dimensione delle parti dichiarate durante le operazioni di upload multipart nel servizio S3 di rclone. Un attaccante remoto, autenticato oppure non autenticato nei casi in cui il servizio consenta l'accesso anonimo, potrebbe sfruttare tale vulnerabilità inviando richieste appositamente predisposte contenenti valori arbitrariamente elevati nei campi che specificano la dimensione dei dati da trasferire, inducendo il sistema ad allocare ingenti quantità di memoria prima della ricezione effettiva dei dati. Ciò potrebbe causare l'esaurimento delle risorse disponibili e la conseguente indisponibilità del servizio interessato. La vulnerabilità identificata tramite la CVE-2026-88016, di tipo "Security Restrictions Bypass " e con CVSS 3.1 pari a 7.1, è dovuta a un'applicazione non sicura delle operazioni di modifica dei metadati su file e directory in presenza di collegamenti simbolici. Un attaccante che abbia la possibilità di controllare il contenuto sincronizzato potrebbe sfruttare tale vulnerabilità predisponendo collegamenti simbolici malevoli al fine di applicare modifiche ai permessi, alla proprietà o ai timestamp di percorsi situati al di fuori della directory di destinazione prevista, con conseguente compromissione dell'integrità del filesystem interessato. La vulnerabilità identificata tramite la CVE-2026-88044, associata a una vulnerabilità di tipo "Authentication Bypass" e con CVSS 3.1 pari a 9.1, è dovuta a un'errata gestione delle configurazioni auth-proxy per i servizi FTP e S3 avviati tramite l'interfaccia Remote Control (RC) di rclone. Un attaccante remoto non autenticato potrebbe sfruttare tale vulnerabilità inducendo il servizio a ignorare i controlli di autenticazione configurati dall'amministratore e ad utilizzare modalità operative di fallback meno restrittive, ottenendo accesso non autorizzato alle funzionalità di lettura, scrittura o cancellazione dei dati esposti e causando la compromissione della riservatezza e dell'integrità delle informazioni trattate. La vulnerabilità identificata tramite la CVE-2026-88017, di tipo "Authorization Bypass" e con CVSS 3.1 pari a 7.3, è dovuta a una gestione non corretta delle credenziali associate alle sessioni FTP autenticate tramite auth-proxy. Un attaccante autenticato potrebbe sfruttare tale vulnerabilità stabilendo sessioni concorrenti che condividono lo stesso nome utente al fine di provocare una sovrapposizione delle credenziali memorizzate dal server e ottenere accesso non autorizzato alle risorse associate a un backend differente, con possibilità di leggere, modificare, rinominare o cancellare dati appartenenti ad altri utenti.

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2026-033516Rcloneにおける複数の脆弱性

rcloneは、さまざまなクラウドストレージプロバイダー間でファイルやディレクトリを同期するためのコマンドラインプログラムです。バージョン1.75.1以前では、backend/localが--linksオプションで実行されると、ソースの.rclonelinkオブジェクトが宛先にシンボリックリンクを作成し、その後ディレクトリのメタデータがそのパスを介して適用される可能性がありました。MkdirMetadata、writeMetadataToFile、およびsetTimesはDirectory.translatedLink=falseのときに動作するため、os.Chown、os.Chmod、os.Chtimes、および作成日時の処理がos.Rootの制限を回避してシンボリックリンクを追跡してしまうことがあります。したがって、ソースの内容を制御する攻撃者は、--metadataオプションがchmodおよびchownに必要であり、変更時間は通常のディレクトリワークフローで適用されるため、選択した所有権、権限、変更時間、または作成日時を宛先外のファイルやディレクトリに適用できる可能性があります。この問題はバージョン1.75.1で修正されています。

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Fix availability varies by product
Affected
rclone: < 1.75.1
Fixed
1.75.1.
Action
Use the product-specific evidence above. Patch only products with a verified fixed release, and keep every affected or under-investigation state without a matching fix in the remediation queue.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
Official vendor articles2 stored documents

Linked articles are downloaded and versioned as source evidence. A CVE mention or approved update relationship does not, by itself, verify a fix for every product branch.

04

Evidence and provenance

Published 10 Sept 2026 · Last source change 15 Sept 2026, 14:44 UTC · CWE-59 · Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-09-11
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-75576
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed from patch: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · patch: github.com/a7ab39d3d1958afa1446982c1dc4e4a73a887e3e · remediation: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · 1 more references to patch: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · patch: github.com/a7ab39d3d1958afa1446982c1dc4e4a73a887e3e · remediation: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · 1 more references.
    Before
    patch: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · patch: github.com/a7ab39d3d1958afa1446982c1dc4e4a73a887e3e · remediation: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · 1 more references
    After
    patch: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · patch: github.com/a7ab39d3d1958afa1446982c1dc4e4a73a887e3e · remediation: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · 1 more references
    github.com ↗
  2. Public exploit evidencePublic exploit evidence changed from No public exploit to Public exploit reference.
    Before
    No public exploit
    After
    Public exploit reference
    CVE.org ↗
  3. ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2026-75576 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.
    Before
    not recorded
    After
    {"euvdId":"EUVD-2026-75576"}
    ENISA EUVD ↗
  4. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added patch: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893; added patch: github.com/a7ab39d3d1958afa1446982c1dc4e4a73a887e3e; removed remediation: github.com/GHSA-f8g7-2xjc-7mfh; 2 further additions.
    Before
    remediation: github.com/GHSA-f8g7-2xjc-7mfh
    After
    patch: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · patch: github.com/a7ab39d3d1958afa1446982c1dc4e4a73a887e3e · remediation: github.com/17b0c03338a857bcb0a68d2d4c82ddbdec3f7893 · 1 more references
    security-advisories@github.com ↗
  5. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    < 1.75.1 · Fixed: 1.75.1.
    After
    rclone: < 1.75.1 · Fixed: 1.75.1.
    CNA ↗
  6. Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.
    CNA ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2026-88016 · cve.blacktree.nl