CVE-2018-20250
CVE-2018-20250 is a high-severity vulnerability in Rarlab Winrar with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-02-15). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-22.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
- CVSS v2: 6.8
- EPSS exploit prediction: 96% (100th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-02-15)
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2018-12813
- EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-02-15)
- Weakness: CWE-22
- Affected product: Rarlab Winrar
- Published:
- Last modified:
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.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-20250?
- 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.
- How severe is CVE-2018-20250?
- CVE-2018-20250 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2018-20250 being actively exploited?
- Yes. CVE-2018-20250 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-02-15, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-20250?
- CVE-2018-20250 affects Rarlab Winrar. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-20250?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
- Does CVE-2018-20250 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2018-20250 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2018-12813. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-02-15).
- When was CVE-2018-20250 published?
- CVE-2018-20250 was published on 2019-02-05 and last updated on 2026-08-13.
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/152618/RARLAB-WinRAR-ACE-Format-Input-Validation-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/windows/fileformat/winrar_ace
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106948
- https://github.com/blau72/CVE-2018-20250-WinRAR-ACE
- https://research.checkpoint.com/extracting-code-execution-from-winrar/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46552/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46756/
- https://www.win-rar.com/whatsnew.html
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-20250
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:rarlab:winrar:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
More vulnerabilities in Rarlab Winrar
- CVE-2008-7144 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in RARLAB WinRAR before 3.71 have unknown impact and attack vectors related to…
- CVE-2004-1254 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): WinRAR 3.40, and possibly earlier versions, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a ZIP file containing…
- CVE-2004-0234 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in the get_header function in header.c for LHA 1.14, as used in products such as…
- CVE-2006-3845 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Stack-based buffer overflow in lzh.fmt in WinRAR 3.00 through 3.60 beta 6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary…
- CVE-2025-8088 — High (CVSS 8.8): A path traversal vulnerability affecting the Windows version of WinRAR allows the attackers to execute arbitrary code…
- CVE-2025-6218 — High (CVSS 7.8): RARLAB WinRAR Directory Traversal Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to…
All CVEs affecting Rarlab Winrar →
Other CWE-22 (Path Traversal) vulnerabilities
- CVE-2026-76606 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Joomla Extension - fabrikar.com - Path Traversal via image element in Fabrik < 4.7.3 - ???.
- CVE-2026-18051 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The W3 Total Cache WordPress plugin before 2.10.5 does not properly validate the request path it uses to build cache…
- CVE-2026-74764 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Pandora contains a path traversal vulnerability in its TAR archive extraction functionality. When processing a…
- CVE-2026-16940 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Custom Fields WordPress plugin before 1.5.1 does not validate a user-supplied file path before deletion, allowing…
- CVE-2026-67429 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Flyto2 Core is an execution kernel for automation and AI-agent workflows. Prior to 2.26.6, image.download and related…
- CVE-2026-59555 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Deletion in Participants Database <= 2.7.8.3 versions.