Medium severity · published Aug 13, 2026
CVE-2026-53794
rsync < 3.5.0 Denial of Service via --max-alloc=0 Logic Error
5.3
CVSS
0.5%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
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.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Low
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.5% · higher than 43% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
RS
rsync · RsyncProject
through 3.4.4 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53794
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53794
github.com
https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/releases/tag/v3.5.0
github.com
https://github.com/RsyncProject/rsync/security/advisories/GHSA-p827-vwcp-m964
www.vulncheck.com
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/rsync-denial-of-service-via-max-alloc-0-logic-error
More from rsync
9.1
CVE-2026-53791
rsync < 3.5.0 Daemon IP Spoofing via PROXY Protocol Header
8.2
CVE-2026-70456
rsync 3.0.1 < 3.5.0 Heap Out-of-Bounds Write via read_args()
8.2
CVE-2026-70457
rsync 3.2.3 < 3.5.0 Out-of-Bounds Write via parse_size_arg()
8.2
CVE-2026-70458
rsync 3.0.0 < 3.5.0 Out-of-Bounds Write via FLAG_HLINKED Handling
8.2
CVE-2026-70461
rsync 3.2.5 < 3.5.0 Heap Out-of-Bounds Write via files-from Entry
