IRONSMITHINTEL
HIGHCVSS7.8
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2025-6218|Auth: none — unauthenticated|Reboot: required|Manual only

RARLAB WinRAR Path Traversal Vulnerability

RARLAB WinRAR contains a path traversal vulnerability allowing an attacker to execute code in the context of the current user.

Published Jun 21, 2025 · Updated May 16, 2026
Why patchRisk explained in plain English
Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A local attacker, without authentication, can achieve full data confidentiality loss, arbitrary modification of data, complete denial of service or system unavailability. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2025-12-30 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in RARLAB WinRAR. Exploitation requires local access, low attack complexity, no authentication required, and user interaction required.

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

IT Security
Running winrar: v < 7.12
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

Active exploitation documented in the wild. Threat-research write-up: https://foresiet.com/blog/apt-c-08-winrar-directory-traversal-exploit/

How to patch

Manual remediation steps

Apply the Vendor Patch

This vulnerability is in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog — apply the vendor's security update as soon as possible.

CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

References

    1
    Vendor advisory: https://www.win-rar.com/singlenewsview.html?&L=0&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=276&cHash=b5165454d983fc9717bc8748901a64f9
    1
    NVD entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-6218
    1
    CISA KEV: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-6218
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