---
title: "CVE-2026-49980: Rclone: Unauthenticated command execution in `rclone rcd --rc-serve` via inline remote instantiation, bypassing CVE-2026-41179 fix"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-49980/
description: "CVE-2026-49980 (github.com/rclone/rclone (Go)): Rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-06-24
date_modified: 2026-08-10
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-49980"
kev: false
cvss: 9.8
epss: 0.00781
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-49980: Rclone: Unauthenticated command execution in `rclone rcd --rc-serve` via inline remote instantiation, bypassing CVE-2026-41179 fix

**Signal:** Critical and remotely reachable. No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.8% , percentile 55: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.8% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 55% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes github.com/rclone/rclone (Go) >= 1.46.0, <= 1.74.2, fixed in 1.74.3 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

Rclone is a command-line program to sync files and directories to and from different cloud storage providers. From 1.46.0 until 1.74.3, rclone rcd --rc-serve accepts unauthenticated GET and HEAD requests to paths of the form: /[remote:path]/object. The remote value is parsed from the URL and passed to normal backend initialization. Inline remote configuration can set backend options that execute local commands during initialization. As a result, a single unauthenticated GET or HEAD request can execute a command as the rclone process user. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.74.3.

## Affected packages

- Go `github.com/rclone/rclone` >= 1.46.0, <= 1.74.2 → fixed: 1.74.3

## Affected products (CVE record)

- rclone rclone: >= 1.46.0, < 1.74.3

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 9.8 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- redhat-SADP CVSS 3.1: 8.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.8 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.78% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 55.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-qw24-gh76-8rvv](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-qw24-gh76-8rvv)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-49980](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-49980)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-49980](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49980)
- [github.com](https://github.com/rclone/rclone/security/advisories/GHSA-qw24-gh76-8rvv)
- [access.redhat.com](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-49980)
- [RHBZ#2492478](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492478)
- [security.access.redhat.com](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-49980.json)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-49980/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt