CVE-2026-54572: rclone — Exploit & Fix

Description

Rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.74.4, with -l/--links, rclone serializes symlinks as .rclonelink text objects and recreates them on a local destination without validating the target, allowing an attacker-controlled remote to plant an escaping symlink and cause a following object write to land outside the destination with attacker-chosen contents. This issue is fixed in version 1.74.4.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.5

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:L

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0040

Probability of exploitation

0.33%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-59 CWE-59

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
rclone	rclone	< 1.74.4

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/rclone/rclone/commit/1154afebee986180b489084d38e2a0c578751498 https://github.com/rclone/rclone/commit/874a804f5289517defdd7de68b2a374837080265 https://github.com/rclone/rclone/security/advisories/GHSA-cf44-9pgv-m4xc https://github.com/rclone/rclone/security/advisories/GHSA-cf44-9pgv-m4xc

Exploits

https://github.com/rclone/rclone/security/advisories/GHSA-cf44-9pgv-m4xc https://github.com/rclone/rclone/security/advisories/GHSA-cf44-9pgv-m4xc

Other References

https://github.com/rclone/rclone/releases/tag/v1.74.4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-54572? +

Rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.74.4, with -l/--links, rclone serializes symlinks as .rclonelink text objects and recreates them on a local destination without validating the target, allowing an attacker-controlled remote to plant an escaping symlink and cause a following object write to land outside the destination with attacker-chosen contents. This issue is fixed in version 1.74.4. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-54572? +

CVE-2026-54572 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0040, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-54572? +

CVE-2026-54572 affects products from rclone, specifically: rclone. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-54572? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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