CVE-2025-6218
CVE-2025-6218 is a security flaw in WinRAR, a program for opening compressed files. A booby-trapped web page can run an attacker's code through WinRAR. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 9 Dec 2025.[1]
WinRAR is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. RARLAB has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a path traversal in RARLAB WinRAR. In its words: “RARLAB WinRAR contains a path traversal vulnerability allowing an attacker to execute code in the context of the current user.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “RARLAB WinRAR Directory Traversal Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of RARLAB WinRAR. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the handling of file paths within archive files. A crafted file path can cause the process to traverse to unintended directories. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user. Was ZDI-CAN-27198.”[2]
The underlying weakness is path traversal (CWE-22), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 7.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by the organisation that published the CVE using CVSS 3.0.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; RARLAB’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as RARLAB WinRAR.
Every device with WinRAR needs the update.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 9 Dec 2025, 171 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 30 Dec 2025 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 90%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
RARLAB has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.”[1]
- Update WinRAR now.Install the latest update from RARLAB on every device that has it, and restart when asked. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
- If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 90%.[4] |
See also
Other WinRAR flaws
- CVE-2025-8088: path traversal ·
- CVE-2023-38831: code execution ·
- CVE-2018-20250: absolute path traversal ·
Other RARLAB flaws
- CVE-2022-30333, UnRAR: directory traversal ·
Other path traversal flaws
- CVE-2025-61624, Fortinet products: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-3199, ONLYOFFICE Docs: server path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-104286, Fortinet FortiMail: path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-93616, Check Point products: path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-66384, JFrog Artifactory: improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2025-62221, Microsoft Windows: use after free ·
Every RARLAB flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in December 2025
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “RARLAB WinRAR Path Traversal Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 9 Dec 2025.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2025-6218 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 21 Jun 2025.
- ^ RARLAB. Advisories and fixes: win-rar.com, win-rar.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.905, percentile 99.8, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2025-6218”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.