# CVE-2026-71312: rclone command injection via PowerShell smart-quotes in SFTP backend

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-71312-rclone-command-injection-via-powershell-smart-quotes-in-sftp  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-05. Updated: 2026-08-05  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-71312 · Severity: high · CVSS 8 · Published 2026-08-05

rclone is a command-line program used to manage files on cloud storage and remote servers. A security flaw in how it handles file names on SFTP servers allows an attacker to execute unauthorized commands on the server. By creating a file with a specially crafted name containing 'smart quotes,' an attacker can trick the system into running malicious code when a user performs a file integrity check. This could lead to data theft, file modification, or full control over the user's account on the remote server.

Technologies: [github.com/rclone/rclone (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-rclone-rclone), [Rclone](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/rclone). Vendors: [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go), [Rclone](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/rclone).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-71312 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-71312 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-71312?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8, published 5 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** github.com/rclone/rclone (Go) <= 1.74.4, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.75.0; Rclone <= 1.74.4.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-71312?** Yes. github.com/rclone/rclone (Go): upgrade to 1.75.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-71312 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-71312?** Check whether you run github.com/rclone/rclone (Go) or Rclone at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- github.com/rclone/rclone (Go): upgrade to 1.75.0 or later

  ```sh
  go get github.com/rclone/rclone@v1.75.0
  ```


## Technical details

The vulnerability is an OS command injection (CWE-78) located in the `backend/sftp` component of rclone. The `quoteOrEscapeShellPath` function incorrectly assumes that only the ASCII apostrophe (U+0027) needs to be escaped for PowerShell environments. However, Windows PowerShell also recognizes four Unicode 'smart quotes' (U+2018, U+2019, U+201A, and U+201B) as valid string delimiters. An attacker with the ability to create or rename files on a remote SFTP server can use these characters to terminate a path literal and append arbitrary PowerShell commands. The exploit is triggered when an rclone user performs an operation that invokes server-side hashing (e.g., `Object.Hash`). This issue is resolved in version 1.75.0.

## Affected products

- rclone rclone <= 1.74.4

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-71312
- GHSA-2m8m-jhrm-w6j2
- GO-2026-6182

## Timeline

- 2026-07-31: patched: Fix included in version 1.75.0
- 2026-08-05: advisory: GitHub Advisory GHSA-2m8m-jhrm-w6j2 published

## References

- [https://api.github.com/users/cyberlanc3r](https://api.github.com/users/cyberlanc3r)
- [https://github.com/cyberlanc3r](https://github.com/cyberlanc3r)
- [https://api.github.com/users/cyberlanc3r/gists%7B/gist_id%7D](https://api.github.com/users/cyberlanc3r/gists%7B/gist_id%7D)
- [https://api.github.com/users/cyberlanc3r/repos](https://api.github.com/users/cyberlanc3r/repos)
- [https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/216992819?v=4](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/216992819?v=4)
- [https://api.github.com/users/cyberlanc3r/events%7B/privacy%7D](https://api.github.com/users/cyberlanc3r/events%7B/privacy%7D)

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- [Rclone serve webdav authentication bypass via OPTIONS requests](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-116193-rclone-from-1-64-0-before-1-75-2-contains-an-authentication)
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