Unrated severityCISA KEVNVD Advisory· Published Aug 23, 2023· Updated Oct 21, 2025
CVE-2023-38831
CVE-2023-38831
Description
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.
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
Affected products
2Patches
Vulnerability mechanics
References
5- packetstormsecurity.com/files/174573/WinRAR-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlmitre
- blog.google/threat-analysis-group/government-backed-actors-exploiting-winrar-vulnerability/mitre
- news.ycombinator.com/itemmitre
- www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/winrar-zero-day-exploited-since-april-to-hack-trading-accounts/mitre
- www.group-ib.com/blog/cve-2023-38831-winrar-zero-day/mitre
News mentions
3- Russian Attackers Weaponize WinRAR Flaw Against Ukrainian OrgsDark Reading · Jun 9, 2026
- Ghostwriter Targets Ukrainian Government With Geofenced PDF Phishing, Cobalt StrikeThe Hacker News · May 14, 2026
- Exploits and vulnerabilities in Q1 2026Securelist · May 7, 2026