CVE-2025-8088
CVE-2025-8088 is a security flaw in WinRAR, a program for opening compressed files. Opening a booby-trapped file can let an attacker run their own 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 12 Aug 2025, and says ransomware gangs have used it.[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 affecting the Windows version of WinRAR. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code by crafting malicious archive files.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “A path traversal vulnerability affecting the Windows version of WinRAR allows the attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting malicious archive files. This vulnerability was exploited in the wild and was discovered by Anton Cherepanov, Peter Košinár, and Peter Strýček from ESET.”[2]
The underlying weakness is CWE-35, in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 8.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[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 12 Aug 2025, 4 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 2 Sep 2025 to fix it.[1] CISA says ransomware gangs have used it.
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 94%. 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 8.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks, noting that ransomware gangs have used it.[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 94%.[4] |
See also
Other WinRAR flaws
- CVE-2025-6218: path traversal ·
- CVE-2023-38831: code execution ·
- CVE-2018-20250: absolute path traversal ·
Other RARLAB flaws
- CVE-2022-30333, UnRAR: directory traversal ·
Similar flaws
- CVE-2026-85706, GitLab Community Edition and Enterprise Edition: path traversal ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2013-3893, Microsoft Internet Explorer: resource management errors ·
- CVE-2007-0671, Microsoft Office: excel remote code execution ·
Every RARLAB flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in August 2025
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “RARLAB WinRAR Path Traversal Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 12 Aug 2025.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2025-8088 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 8 Aug 2025.
- ^ RARLAB. Advisories and fixes: win-rar.com, vicarius.io.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.940, percentile 99.8, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2025-8088”. 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.