---
id: "CVE-2026-116195"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-116195"]
title: "Rclone: path traversal lets synced files change parent directory metadata"
severity: "high"
cvss: 7.0
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "other"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["backup", "ci", "other", "rclone", "self-hosted"]
not_affected_if: ["no-links-flag", "no-metadata-flag", "trusted-sources-only"]
published_at: "2026-10-25T14:16:59+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-25T14:41:23+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T14:42:42+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-116195", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-25T14:41:23+00:00"}]
---

# Rclone: path traversal lets synced files change parent directory metadata

Rclone before 1.75.2 trims the .rclonelink suffix from paths after its containment check in the local backend's translateLink function, so a crafted name can resolve outside the destination root. An attacker who plants a directory named ...rclonelink in a source tree can change the ownership, timestamps and xattrs of the destination's parent directory.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Run `rclone version` and check whether it reports a version earlier than `1.75.2`.
- Look for jobs that run rclone with `--links` and `--metadata` against local destinations, for example in cron entries or CI configs.

## Fix

- Upgrade rclone to `1.75.2` or later.
- Until the upgrade, avoid running `--links` with `--metadata` on source trees you do not trust.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-25T14:41:23+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-116195

## From the sources

Rclone before 1.75.2 contains a path traversal vulnerability in the local backend's translateLink function, which trims the .rclonelink suffix from a path after the containment check, so a name can resolve outside the destination root. Attackers can plant a directory named ...rclonelink in a source tree synced with --links and --metadata to change ownership, timestamps, and xattrs of the destination's parent directory.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_