RARLAB WinRAR Path Traversal Vulnerability
RARLAB WinRAR contains a path traversal vulnerability affecting the Windows version of WinRAR. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code by crafting malicious archive files.
A remote 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 2025-09-02 under CISA BOD 22-01.
This is a Software Vulnerability (CWE-35) (CWE-35) vulnerability in RARLAB WinRAR. A path traversal vulnerability affecting the Windows version of WinRAR allows the attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting malicious archive files. This vulnerability was exploited in the wild and was discovered by Anton Cherepanov, Peter Košinár, and Peter Strýček from ESET. Exploitation requires remote network access, low attack complexity, no authentication required, and user interaction required.
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Phishing link
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Malicious file
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Server compromised
Probably yes if any of these apply:
Active exploitation documented in the wild. Threat-research write-up: https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/08/high-severity-winrar-0-day-exploited-for-weeks-by-2-groups/
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
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References