Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Affected rclone versions can expose temporary AWS credentials when an S3 request follows a same-host redirect from encrypted HTTPS to plaintext HTTP. Anyone able to intercept that HTTP traffic could capture the session token and potentially access AWS resources allowed by its permissions until it expires or is revoked.
Executive priority
Treat remediation as urgent where rclone handles privileged AWS session credentials or operates across untrusted networks. Prioritize upgrading exposed automation, backup, and data-transfer systems. Investigate possible credential exposure if plaintext S3 traffic occurred, while recognizing that the supplied sources do not report active exploitation.
Technical view
In rclone versions before 1.74.4, the X-Amz-Security-Token header is not removed when an S3 redirect changes from HTTPS to HTTP on the same host. This violates transport confidentiality and can disclose AWS STS session tokens to a network-positioned attacker. The supplied CVSS 4.0 score is 9.3 and maps the issue to CWE-319.
Likely exposure
Exposure requires rclone before 1.74.4, S3 operations using AWS STS session credentials, and an HTTPS-to-HTTP redirect on the same host. Risk is greatest on networks where plaintext traffic can be observed or altered. The bundle does not establish how commonly affected redirects occur or whether default S3 configurations trigger them.
Exploitation context
The supplied bundle marks this CVE as absent from KEV and provides no evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation would require interception of the redirected plaintext HTTP request. A captured token's practical impact depends on its remaining lifetime, attached permissions, and any additional AWS policy restrictions.
Researcher notes
The decisive condition is redirect handling across a scheme downgrade while retaining the same host. Assessment should distinguish vulnerable software presence from reachable exposure conditions. The bundle does not provide affected platform distinctions, redirect prevalence, observed attacks, or detailed patch mechanics, so conclusions beyond the stated header-disclosure behavior would be speculative.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade rclone to version 1.74.4 or later.
- Identify and rotate potentially exposed AWS STS sessions where feasible.
- Prevent HTTPS-to-HTTP redirects in S3 endpoints, proxies, and related infrastructure.
- Restrict AWS session permissions and duration to reduce credential exposure impact.
- Review the vendor advisory for any additional remediation guidance.
Validation and detection
- Inventory rclone versions on endpoints, servers, containers, and automation runners.
- Identify S3 workflows using temporary AWS STS credentials.
- Review endpoint and proxy configurations for HTTPS-to-HTTP redirects.
- Inspect authorized network telemetry for plaintext S3 requests containing security-token headers.
- Confirm upgraded systems report rclone 1.74.4 or later.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-319: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCredential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-79782 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.3 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N1.61.4VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
9.3CriticalVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Base CVSS 3.1 score
3.1LowVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-gx4c-2hqx-cw2r)CVE reference, VulnCheck · vendor-advisory
- VulnCheck Advisory: rclone before 1.74.4 Security Token Disclosure via HTTPS to HTTP RedirectCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information
Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.