CVE-2026-53794
MediumCVSS 5.3Summary
rsync before 3.5.0 contains a logic error in --max-alloc handling that allows a sender or configuration setting --max-alloc=0 to disable allocation sanity checks entirely rather than enforcing a zero-byte cap. Attackers can exploit this flaw to cause the receiver to attempt unbounded memory allocations for file list and data structures, potentially exhausting available memory and causing a denial of service.
Risk Assessment
Memory exhaustion and denial of service may occur, potentially disrupting systems that use rsync.
Recommendation
Update rsync to version 3.5.0 or later, which includes a fix, and avoid setting --max-alloc=0 in configurations.
Original NVD description (English source)
rsync before 3.5.0 contains a logic error in --max-alloc handling that allows a sender or configuration setting --max-alloc=0 to disable allocation sanity checks entirely rather than enforcing a zero-byte cap. Attackers can exploit this flaw to cause the receiver to attempt unbounded memory allocations for file list and data structures, potentially exhausting available memory and causing a denial of service.