CVE-2025-6218 RARLAB WinRAR: file path flaw
In plain words: The program can be tricked into reading or writing files outside the folder it should stay in. Leaks files such as passwords and settings, or overwrites important ones.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Dec 30, 2025
What to do
- Install RARLAB's security update for WinRAR. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- RARLAB WinRAR Path Traversal Vulnerability
- Product
- RARLAB WinRAR
- CISA description
- RARLAB WinRAR contains a path traversal vulnerability allowing an attacker to execute code in the context of the current user.
- Type of flaw
- File path flaw (CWE-22)
- Confirmed exploited
- Dec 9, 2025
- US federal patch deadline
- Dec 30, 2025
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Answering about CVE-2025-6218 ·
Questions about CVE-2025-6218
Is CVE-2025-6218 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2025-6218 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Dec 9, 2025, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2025-6218?
Install RARLAB's security update for WinRAR. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2025-6218?
Only if you use RARLAB WinRAR. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.