CVE-2026-41176 — rclone
CVE-2026-41176 is a Missing Authentication vulnerability in github.com/rclone/rclone. EPSS puts its 30-day exploitation probability at 32.7% (98th percentile). A fix is available for github.com/rclone/rclone — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Rclone: Unauthenticated options/set allows runtime auth bypass, leading to sensitive operations and command execution
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-41176.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/rclone/rcloneReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. The RC endpoint options/set is exposed without AuthRequired: true, but it can mutate global runtime configuration, including the RC option block itself. Starting in version 1.45.0 and prior to version 1.73.5, an unauthenticated attacker can set rc.NoAuth=true, which disables the authorization gate for many RC methods registered with AuthRequired: true on reachable RC servers that are started without global HTTP authentication. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functionality, including configuration and operational RC methods. Version 1.73.5 patches the issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/rclone/rclone | ≥ 1.45.0&&< 1.73.5 | 1.73.5go get github.com/rclone/rclone@v1.73.5 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/rclone/rclone, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/rclone/rclone to 1.73.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-41176 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-41176 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2026-41176. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
How to detect CVE-2026-41176
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id cve-2026-41176 -u https://target- Template
- Rclone RC - Broken Access Control
- Severity
- critical
- Impact
- Unauthenticated attackers can access sensitive administrative functions, potentially leading to full control over the RC server configuration and operations.
- Remediation
- Upgrade to version 1.73.5 or later.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (theamanrawat), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-41176 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2026-41176 across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.