CVE-2018-20250

WinRAR Absolute Path Traversal

7.8 HIGHActively exploited (CISA KEV)Used in ransomwarePublic exploitEPSS 96.0%

Published5 Feb 2019
Added to CISA KEV15 Feb 2022
Remediation due15 Aug 2022

Description

In WinRAR versions prior to and including 5.61, There is path traversal vulnerability when crafting the filename field of the ACE format (in UNACEV2.dll). When the filename field is manipulated with specific patterns, the destination (extraction) folder is ignored, thus treating the filename as an absolute path.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorLocal

Attack complexityLow

Privileges requiredNone

User interactionRequired

ScopeUnchanged

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Rarlab Winrar≤ 5.61

Remediation

No fixed version is recorded in the NVD data. Check the vendor advisory for the latest guidance.

References

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/152618/RARLAB-WinRAR-ACE-Format-Input-Validation-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploitThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://github.com/blau72/CVE-2018-20250-WinRAR-ACEExploitThird Party Advisory
https://research.checkpoint.com/extracting-code-execution-from-winrar/ExploitPress/Media CoverageThird Party Advisory
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-20250US Government Resource
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46552/ExploitThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46756/ExploitThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
https://www.win-rar.com/whatsnew.htmlRelease Notes
http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/windows/fileformat/winrar_aceThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106948Broken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry

Related CVEs

Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2018-20250 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2018-20250 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 15 Feb 2022. It has been used in ransomware campaigns.

How severe is CVE-2018-20250?

CVE-2018-20250 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, rated high. EPSS estimates a 96.0% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2018-20250?

Affected products include Rarlab Winrar.

How do I fix CVE-2018-20250?

Apply the vendor's patch or advisory guidance, then verify no affected versions remain across your devices.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2018-20250 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.