What is CVE-2023-38831?

CVE-2023-38831 is a high-severity vulnerability in Rarlab Winrar, classified under Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2023-08-23.

How severe is CVE-2023-38831?

High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.

Is CVE-2023-38831 known to be exploited?

Yes. CVE-2023-38831 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-08-24), indicating it is being actively exploited. 168 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed.

Vulnerability in Rarlab Winrar

CVE-2023-38831

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.

EPSS: 0.979 (99.9th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 7.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Rarlab Winrar
N/a — versions n/a

Weakness classification (CWE)

CISA KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities)

This CVE is on the CISA KEV catalog, added on 2023-08-24. CISA KEV inclusion means CISA has confirmed in-the-wild exploitation; US federal agencies are required to remediate within a published due date.

BOD 22-01 due date: 2023-09-14.

Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Known ransomware campaign use: yes.

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

cve@mitre.org (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Press/Media Coverage)
cve@mitre.org (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Press/Media Coverage)
cve@mitre.org (Issue Tracking)
cve@mitre.org (Exploit, VDB Entry, Third Party Advisory)
cve@mitre.org (Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 (US Government Resource)

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-38831?: CVE-2023-38831 is a high-severity vulnerability in Rarlab Winrar, classified under Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2023-08-23.
How severe is CVE-2023-38831?: High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.
Is CVE-2023-38831 known to be exploited?: Yes. CVE-2023-38831 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-08-24), indicating it is being actively exploited. 168 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed.