Known exploited vulnerability
CVE-2023-38831
The short answer
CVE-2023-38831 affects n/a n/a and is rated high (CVSS 7.8). CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-08-24: attackers are using it, so patch it first.
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.
Severity
7.8 high
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploited (CISA KEV)
Yes, since Aug 24, 2023
Federal due date Sep 14, 2023
EPSS, next 30 days
100%
Higher than 100% of scored CVEs
How it can be exploited
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
What CISA says to do
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Affected products
n/a, winrar. NVD's record lists the exact affected versions.
References
- blog.google/threat-analysis-group/government-backed-actors-exploiting-winrar-vulnerability/ ExploitThird Party Advisory
- news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37236100 Issue Tracking
- www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/winrar-zero-day-exploited-since-april-to-hack-trading-accounts/ ExploitPress/Media CoverageThird Party Advisory
- www.group-ib.com/blog/cve-2023-38831-winrar-zero-day/ ExploitPress/Media CoverageThird Party Advisory
- blog.google/threat-analysis-group/government-backed-actors-exploiting-winrar-vulnerability/ ExploitThird Party Advisory
- news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37236100 Issue Tracking
- www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/winrar-zero-day-exploited-since-april-to-hack-trading-accounts/ ExploitPress/Media CoverageThird Party Advisory
- www.group-ib.com/blog/cve-2023-38831-winrar-zero-day/ ExploitPress/Media CoverageThird Party Advisory
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-38831 US Government Resource
Questions
Is CVE-2023-38831 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2023-38831 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-08-24, with a federal remediation due date of 2023-09-14. CISA lists it as used in ransomware campaigns.
How do I fix CVE-2023-38831?
CISA's required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
From NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS and OSV.dev, checked . Status on NVD: Analyzed. The description is NVD's text, quoted as published.
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