Assessment
Why it matters
CISA lists this vulnerability as known to be exploited; exploitation is confirmed; EPSS is 97.8%; technical severity is CVSS 7.8.
RARLAB WinRAR before 6.23 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code when a user attempts to view a benign file within a ZIP archive. The issue occurs because a ZIP archive may include a benign file (such as an ordinary .JPG file) and also a folder that has the same name as the benign file, and the contents of the folder (which may include executable content) are processed during an attempt to access only the benign file. This was exploited in the wild in April through October 2023.
Who should care
- Teams operating WinRAR
- Vulnerability and exposure management teams
- Security operations teams monitoring exploitation activity
Response plan
What I would do
- Confirm whether WinRAR is present in the environment.
- Identify affected versions and establish whether vulnerable services are exposed or reachable.
- Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- Review relevant security telemetry for evidence of attempted or successful exploitation.
- Document the remediation decision and track it to verified completion.
Vendor remediation
Patch and remediation links
Use the vendor source below to confirm the correct fixed version, package or mitigation for your affected product.
Technical details
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CWE
- CWE-351
- Affected versions
- RARLAB WinRAR (End Excluding: 6.23)
- Published
- 23 August 2023
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
Signal timeline
- Added to CISA KEV
- Latest EPSS score: 97.8%
- Signal calculated at 86