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rclone EUVDEUVD-2026-75585

| CVE-2026-88018 CRITICAL
Improper Authentication (CWE-287)
2026-09-10 GitHub_M GHSA-xwwr-4h3p-r22c
9.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: GitHub_M
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Reach exposed rclone serve s3 endpoint
  2. Delivery
    Choose arbitrary accessKeyID
  3. Exploit
    Sign SigV4 request with empty secret
  4. Execution
    Bypass gofakes3 signature verification
  5. Impact
    Access auth-proxy-resolved backend storage

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Authentication mechanism validation
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Defense Evasion, Initial Access

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Requires rclone (prior to 1.75.1) running the 'rclone serve s3' subcommand configured with --auth-proxy AND without --auth-key - this is the exact vulnerable combination named in the advisory. Under that configuration there are no further limits: the attacker needs no valid credentials, no user interaction, and only network reachability to the S3 listener, and can freely choose any accessKeyID while signing with an empty secret. Exploitation is limited only by that non-default configuration requirement and by which backends the operator's auth-proxy script resolves for a given access key; instances using --auth-key, not using --auth-proxy, or not running serve s3 are not affected.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 9.8) is internally consistent with the description: a remote, unauthenticated attacker with low complexity gains full read/write access to backend storage, which is a genuine critical-severity outcome for any exposed instance. The important caveat is that exploitation is entirely contingent on a specific non-default deployment: rclone serve s3 must be running with --auth-proxy AND without --auth-key. That configuration constraint is not reflected in the AC:L rating, so the raw score somewhat overstates the population at risk - most rclone installs never run serve s3 at all, let alone in this exact mode. No EPSS score, KEV entry, or SSVC decision data was provided, and no public proof-of-concept was referenced, so there is no signal of active or automated exploitation yet; however, the fix commit and advisory are public, which shortens the window for exploit development. For any operator actually running the vulnerable configuration and exposing it to untrusted networks, this should be treated as urgent and patched immediately, because the bypass is trivial to weaponize once the code path is understood.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker discovers an internet-reachable rclone serve s3 endpoint running with --auth-proxy but no --auth-key. Using any S3 client, they choose an arbitrary accessKeyID, compute a SigV4 signature using an empty secret key, and send a request; rclone accepts the signature against the empty s3Secret and hands the request to whatever backend the auth-proxy resolves for that identity, giving the attacker unauthenticated read/write access to that storage.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity + public POC available.
Patch available 0.5% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 10, 2026

Authentication bypass in rclone's S3 server mode (rclone serve s3) allows any unauthenticated network attacker to impersonate arbitrary S3 access keys. When rclone serve s3 is started with --auth-proxy but without --auth-key, authPairMiddleware registers whatever accessKeyID the client chooses against an empty s3Secret, and gofakes3 then validates the request's SigV4 signature against that same empty secret - so an attacker can pick any access key, sign with an empty secret, and reach whatever backend the auth-proxy script resolves for that identity. Fixed in rclone 1.75.1; no public exploit identified at time of analysis, though the vendor security advisory (GHSA-xwwr-4h3p-r22c) and fix commit are public.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade rclone to version 1.75.1 or later, which requires the auth-proxy to return a non-empty _secret_access_key and refuses the request when it is empty or missing (advisory GHSA-xwwr-4h3p-r22c). If immediate upgrade is not possible, the most direct compensating control is to stop using the vulnerable combination: either add a static --auth-key to rclone serve s3 so authentication no longer relies solely on the proxy-supplied empty secret, or disable the S3 serve endpoint entirely until patched - both prevent the empty-secret signature bypass but change how clients authenticate and may require reconfiguring legitimate S3 clients. As an additional network-layer control, restrict access to the rclone serve s3 listener (firewall/reverse-proxy allowlist or bind to loopback) so only trusted clients can reach it, accepting that this narrows legitimate remote access. After upgrading, update any auth-proxy script to return per-access-key secrets via the new _secret_access_key field.

Affected VersionsENISA

rclone < 1.75.1

Affected Packages

go github.com/rclone/rclone fix: 1.75.1
euvd rclone fix: 1.75.1

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 2 packages in go, euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

rclone is a widely used Go command-line tool for syncing to/from cloud storage. The affected component is its 'serve s3' subcommand, which exposes a VFS-backed backend over an S3-compatible API implemented via the gofakes3 library. Authentication for that endpoint can be delegated to an external auth-proxy script (--auth-proxy), which is normally paired with a static --auth-key. The root cause maps to CWE-287 (Improper Authentication): in the vulnerable code path (cmd/serve/proxy/proxy.go), the proxy handshake passed the S3 access key identifier as both the 'user' and the authentication value while binding it to an empty per-identity secret (ws.s3Secret), so SigV4 signature verification degenerated to 'verify against an empty key' - which any client can satisfy by signing with an empty secret. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:rclone:rclone:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covers all rclone versions prior to the 1.75.1 fix. The patch introduces a dedicated authAccessKey credential kind and requires the proxy to return a non-empty _secret_access_key, refusing the request if it is empty or missing, making the proxy the authoritative source for both credentials and backend mapping.

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Severity by source

Vendor (GitHub_M) PRIMARY 9.8 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 9.8 CRITICAL

Unauthenticated remote attacker signs with an empty secret to gain full read/write backend access; the non-default config requirement affects population, not per-attack complexity, so AC:L/PR:N stand.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE CRITICAL

Primary rating from Vendor (GitHub_M).

CVSS VectorVendor: GitHub_M

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Sep 10, 2026 - 18:02 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 10, 2026 - 16:03 cve.org
CRITICAL 9.8

DescriptionCVE.org

rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. Prior to 1.75.1, rclone serve s3 configured with --auth-proxy but without --auth-key allows authPairMiddleware to register any client-chosen accessKeyID with an empty ws.s3Secret. gofakes3 then verifies the request’s SigV4 signature against that same empty secret, while Server.auth passes the access key identifier as both the user and authentication value to the proxy without an independent per-identity secret. An unauthenticated network attacker can therefore choose an arbitrary access key, sign with an empty secret, and reach whatever backend the auth-proxy script resolves for that identity. This issue is fixed in version 1.75.1.

Technical POC Analysis

CWE-287 Improper Authentication.

Full technical POC analysis - root cause, step-by-step exploitation and patch breakdown - is part of the Pro and Business plans.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Organizations deploying rclone serve s3 with --auth-proxy flag but without --auth-key are vulnerable to complete S3 backend compromise by unauthenticated attackers. Any S3 data accessed through these instances, including cloud backups and data synchronization operations, faces immediate risk of unauthorized access and exfiltration.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

Vendor-released patch: rclone 1.75.1. Interim mitigation before upgrade: add --auth-key parameter to enforce authentication on existing deployments.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.5%
Top 59% exploitable
Prevalence
High
rclone very widely deployed, but the vulnerable serve-s3 auth-proxy mode is niche
Threat Intel
1
1 source
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Social Media
3
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 0.5%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity + public POC available
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

69
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +49
PoC: +20
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Critical
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.0 Affected

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