RARLAB · WinRAR
CVE-2023-38831
RARLAB WinRAR Code Execution Vulnerability
What it is
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.
CISA: 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.
What to do
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Deadline for US federal agencies: September 14, 2023
- Added to the CISA list
- August 24, 2023
- Published
- August 23, 2023
- Severity
- High 7.8 CVSS 3.1
- Chance of attacks in the next 30 days (EPSS)
- 99.8% in the top 0.1% of all known vulnerabilities
- Weakness
- CWE-351
- More details
- NVD · CVE.org · CISA
All references (5)
- https://www.group-ib.com/blog/cve-2023-38831-winrar-zero-day/
- https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/winrar-zero-day-exploited-since-april-to-hack-trading-accounts/
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37236100
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174573/WinRAR-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- https://blog.google/threat-analysis-group/government-backed-actors-exploiting-winrar-vulnerability/
More exploited flaws from RARLAB
| Added | Vulnerability | Product | Severity | Attack chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 9, 2025 | Path Traversal | WinRAR | High 7.8 | 90% |
| Aug 12, 2025 | Path Traversal | WinRAR | High 8.4 | 95% |
| Feb 15, 2022 | Absolute Path Traversal | WinRAR | High 7.8 | 96% |
| Aug 9, 2022 | Directory Traversal | UnRAR | Critical 9.8 | 99.2% |
Sources: Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (CISA, public domain), CVE records (cve.org) and EPSS (FIRST). The chance of attacks is the EPSS estimate that someone will try to exploit the flaw in the next 30 days.