What it is
CVE-2018-20250 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. WinRAR. In WinRAR versions prior to and including 5.61, There is path traversal vulnerability when crafting the...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
Confirmed confidence
In CISA KEV
CVE-2018-20250
WinRAR Path Traversal
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. / WinRAR · All versions prior and including 5.61
- Severity
- CVSS 7.8 · High
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 96.3%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is confirmed.
Who is affected?
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. / WinRAR all versions prior and including 5.61.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
WinRAR Path Traversal
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.
Vendor
Product
Affected
Status
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.
WinRAR
All versions prior and including 5.61
Affected
- Published
- 05 Feb 2019
- Exploitation Reported
- 15 Feb 2022
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
Tags
cisa
malware
ransomware
metasploit
windows
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-20250
- 46552 exploit-db.com · Exploit https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46552/
- 46756 exploit-db.com · Exploit https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46756/
- 106948 securityfocus.com · VDB Entry http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/106948
- GitHub — blau72/CVE-2018-20250-WinRAR-ACE github.com · CVE Record https://github.com/blau72/CVE-2018-20250-WinRAR-ACE
- research.checkpoint.com/extracting-code-execution-from-winrar research.checkpoint.com · CVE Record https://research.checkpoint.com/extracting-code-execution-from-winrar/
- win-rar.com/whatsnew.html win-rar.com · CVE Record https://www.win-rar.com/whatsnew.html
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/152618/RARLAB-WinRAR-ACE-Format-Input-... packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/152618/RARLAB-WinRAR-ACE-Format-...
- rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/windows/fileformat/winrar... rapid7.com · CVE Record http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/windows/fileformat/winrar_ace
Exploitation evidence
Why KEV Intelligence marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
CISA
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
Used in malware
CISA
Malware families have been linked to exploitation of this CVE.
Proof of concept available
GitHub
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2022-02-15 00:00 UTC |
| CVE | 2026-08-13 04:20 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- 0
- User-Agents
- 0
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Metasploit template detected 28 Apr 2025.
View Metasploit template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/winrar_ace.rb | 28 Apr 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.1
7.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
96.3%
Weaknesses
All CVSS Scores
CVSS v3.1
7.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v2.0
6.8
Medium
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
KEV confirmed by CVE
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
First public exploitation report
Exploit observed in malware
-
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2018-20250
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2018-20250",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 7.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.96274,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}Early warning alerts
Get alerts on high-impact exploitation
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.