Summary
rclone: Unvalidated symlink target in local --links, arbitrary file write from an untrusted remote
Impact
An attacker who controls the contents of any remote a victim syncs with -l/--links gains arbitrary file write as the victim user, anywhere that user can write. Overwriting ~/.ssh/authorized_keys, shell rc files, or cron files yields remote code execution on the victim's host. Even without the write-through step, the destination is silently populated with symlinks pointing anywhere on the local filesystem (confinement break / later read-or-write traversal).
CVE-2026-54572 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.74.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
In Object.Update() reject symlink targets that are absolute or escape the destination root before calling os.Symlink (resolve filepath.Join(dir, target) and require it to stay within the configured root, or refuse absolute/.. targets), and write objects with O_NOFOLLOW on the final component plus a no-symlink-in-parent check so a planted symlinked directory is never followed. Add a regression test copying a .rclonelink with target /tmp/... and a sibling file, asserting nothing is written outside the destination.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-54572? CVE-2026-54572 is a high-severity security vulnerability in github.com/rclone/rclone (go), affecting versions <= 1.74.3. It is fixed in 1.74.4.
- How severe is CVE-2026-54572? CVE-2026-54572 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of github.com/rclone/rclone are affected by CVE-2026-54572? github.com/rclone/rclone (go) versions <= 1.74.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54572? Yes. CVE-2026-54572 is fixed in 1.74.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-54572 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-54572 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-54572 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-54572? Upgrade
github.com/rclone/rcloneto 1.74.4 or later.