CVEs / CVE-2023-38831
CVE-2023-38831: RARLAB WinRAR Code Execution Vulnerability
- Known exploited in the CISA KEV catalog since 24 Aug 2023
- high 7.8 CVSS 3.1 (NVD)
- EPSS 99.8% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of CVEs (30 Oct 2026)
- Last changed at its sources
Are you affected? Check your servers with Stackurity: it lists the software on each server and the vulnerabilities to fix first.
Check your servers with Stackurity Already using Stackurity? Search for CVE-2023-38831
Summary
RARLAB WinRAR contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows an attacker to execute code when a user attempts to view a benign file within a ZIP archive.
Description
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.
Affected and fixed versions
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| n/a n/a | n/a | — |
| rarlab winrar | before 6.23 | 6.23 |
Exploitation
| In CISA KEV since | 24 Aug 2023 |
|---|---|
| Due date for US federal agencies | 14 Sep 2023 |
| Used in ransomware campaigns | Known |
| Required action | Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. |
Severity
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 highCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HScored by NVD |
|---|---|
| Weakness | CWE-345, CWE-351 |
References
- CVE-2023-38831 on NVD
- CVE-2023-38831 in the CISA KEV catalog
- http://www.win-rar.com/singlenewsview.html?&L=0&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=232&cHash=c5bf79590657e32554c6683296a8e8aa (cited by CISA)
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174573/WinRAR-Remote-Code-Execution.html Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://blog.google/threat-analysis-group/government-backed-actors-exploiting-winrar-vulnerability/ Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37236100 Issue Tracking
- https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/winrar-zero-day-exploited-since-april-to-hack-trading-accounts/ Exploit, Press/Media Coverage, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.group-ib.com/blog/cve-2023-38831-winrar-zero-day/ Exploit, Press/Media Coverage, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-38831 US Government Resource
Sources
Exploitation status from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS scores from FIRST. Descriptions, severity and references from the National Vulnerability Database. Open-source package versions from OSV (CC-BY 4.0). Text is shown as each source states it; Stackurity does not edit it. Check the vendor's advisory before acting.
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.