Description
An issue was discovered in rcp in NetKit through 0.17. For an rcp operation, the server chooses which files/directories are sent to the client. However, the rcp client only performs cursory validation of the object name returned. A malicious rsh server (or Man-in-The-Middle attacker) can overwrite arbitrary files in a directory on the rcp client machine. This is similar to CVE-2019-6111.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 12 | netkit-rsh | 0.17-20 | — |
| Debian 9 | netkit-rsh | 0.17-17+deb9u1 | DLA-2822-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | netkit-rsh | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | netkit-rsh | No fix yet | — |
Advisories 1
- DLA-2822-1 netkit-rsh - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026