CVE-2025-8088

Published Aug 8, 2025

Last updated 3 months ago

Overview

AI description

Automated description summarized from trusted sources.

CVE-2025-8088 is a path traversal vulnerability affecting the Windows version of WinRAR. It allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting malicious archive files. This vulnerability was exploited in the wild. It was discovered by Anton Cherepanov, Peter Košinár, and Peter Strýček from ESET. The vulnerability was exploited in phishing attacks to deliver RomCom malware. The attackers can trick the program into saving a file in a different location than the user intended, such as the computer's Startup folder. This allows the attackers to execute their own code. WinRAR patched the vulnerability in version 7.13.

Description
A path traversal vulnerability affecting the Windows version of WinRAR allows the attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting malicious archive files. This vulnerability was exploited in the wild and was discovered by Anton Cherepanov, Peter Košinár, and Peter Strýček from ESET.
Source
security@eset.com
NVD status
Analyzed
Products
winrar, dtsearch

Risk scores

CVSS 4.0

Type
Secondary
Base score
8.4
Impact score
-
Exploitability score
-
Vector string
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
Severity
HIGH

CVSS 3.1

Type
Primary
Base score
8.8
Impact score
5.9
Exploitability score
2.8
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Severity
HIGH

Known exploits

Data from CISA

Vulnerability name
RARLAB WinRAR Path Traversal Vulnerability
Exploit added on
Aug 12, 2025
Exploit action due
Sep 2, 2025
Required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Weaknesses

security@eset.com
CWE-35

Social media

Hype score is a measure of social media activity compared against trending CVEs from the past 12 months. Max score 100.

Hype score

2

  1. CVE-2025-8088 Exploitation Used to Deploy Amaranth Loader and Havoc Framework https://t.co/92MhHma8TK https://t.co/7gho8O4O4b

    @secharvesterx

    10 Feb 2026

    912 Impressions

    3 Retweets

    14 Likes

    3 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  2. 🚨 Nowa grupa Amaranth-Dragon (prawdopodobnie powiązana z chińskim wywiadem) atakuje strategiczne cele 🕵️‍♂️ Badacze bezpieczeństwa z Checkpoint Research wykryli nową kampanię cyberszpiegowską, wykorzystującą lukę w WinRAR (CVE-2025-8088) 🎯 Jak wygląda

    @Sekurak

    10 Feb 2026

    7215 Impressions

    7 Retweets

    67 Likes

    12 Bookmarks

    5 Replies

    0 Quotes

  3. WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 Drives Targeted Espionage in Southeast Asia https://t.co/9koQlS4I5L https://t.co/9svQGHHUaQ

    @mayurk21

    9 Feb 2026

    36 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  4. 🚨 CVE-2025-8088 : WINRAR PATH TRAVERSAL RCE VIA MALICIOUS ARCHIVE PARSING ALERT 🚨 WinRAR A critical unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability exists in WinRAR, allowing attackers to achieve arbitrary file write and code execution by opening specially crafted

    @OstorlabSec

    9 Feb 2026

    87 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    1 Bookmark

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  5. WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 Drives Targeted Espionage in Southeast Asia https://t.co/6cl3SJk3ur https://t.co/ABU9bl9PJU

    @IdentityJason

    9 Feb 2026

    79 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  6. Amaranth-Dragon: Weaponizing CVE-2025-8088 for Targeted Espionage in the Southeast Asia via @_CPResearch_ #Proficio #ThreatNews #Cybersecurity #MSSP #MDR https://t.co/ssuMENAuqN

    @proficioinc

    9 Feb 2026

    80 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  7. Recent intrusion activity shows sustained exploitation of CVE-2025-8088 to deliver custom loaders and remote access tooling. The campaigns emphasize stealth, regional targeting, and low-noise persistence mechanisms. #threatintelligence #CyberSec https://t.co/6hrdyFEu0z

    @LandscapeThreat

    9 Feb 2026

    49 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    1 Like

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  8. WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 Drives Targeted Espionage in Southeast Asia https://t.co/cHy2SHrDF8 https://t.co/2LHO9iwd8m

    @CloudVirtues

    8 Feb 2026

    43 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    1 Like

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  9. WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 Drives Targeted Espionage in Southeast Asia https://t.co/zsM3zVSOHR https://t.co/GFPpozjbLT

    @PhotoZel

    7 Feb 2026

    45 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  10. WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 Drives Targeted Espionage in Southeast Asia https://t.co/ky5CznlGOl https://t.co/vkSc1tRgFy

    @SirajD_Official

    7 Feb 2026

    44 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  11. WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 Drives Targeted Espionage in Southeast Asia https://t.co/46P6M9UzUH https://t.co/7ENql1JbjM

    @scandaletti

    6 Feb 2026

    35 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  12. Cyber-espionage group Amaranth-Dragon exploits WinRAR vulnerability CVE-2025-8088 to infiltrate Southeast Asian government networks. Stay vigilant! Link: https://t.co/sLv92Jgg26 #Cybersecurity #WinRAR #Amaranth #CVE #Hacking #Security #Threat #Malware #Exploitation #SpearPhishing

    @dailytechonx

    6 Feb 2026

    59 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  13. 圧縮・解凍ソフト WinRARの脆弱性を中国系ハッキング グループがサイバー攻撃へ悪用(CVE-2025-8088) https://t.co/qmVilE0QeI

    @cloudsec_news

    6 Feb 2026

    78 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  14. In 2025, Amaranth-Dragon APT weaponized the popular WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 for targeted espionage across Southeast Asia. Custom loader, Telegram RAT, geofenced C2, and event-themed lures. https://t.co/K3lsesapnV

    @MDST9999

    6 Feb 2026

    39 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  15. [Threat][ASEAN]🟡Amaranth-Dragon: Weaponizing CVE-2025-8088 for Targeted Espionage in the Southeast Asia Type: Targeted Date: 04 Feb 2026 Refer: https://t.co/R7s9ppWaMm #rectifyq #cti #threatintel #threatintelligence #malaysia #infosec

    @_rectifyq

    6 Feb 2026

    94 Impressions

    1 Retweet

    1 Like

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  16. #AmaranthDragon espionage campaign exploits #WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 to target gov and law enforcement in Southeast #Asia. Path traversal enables code execution and persistence via Startup folder, deploying Havoc C2 or TGAmaranth RAT. https://t.co/dXIejReLjB

    @MeridianEU

    6 Feb 2026

    128 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  17. ATTENTION À WINRAR ! Une vieille faille critique est toujours exploitée massivement en 2026 Si tu utilises WinRAR pour ouvrir des fichiers .zip ou .rar, tu dois ABSOLUMENT vérifier ta version. Une vulnérabilité critique (CVE-2025-8088), pourtant corrigée en juillet 2025, e

    @NEMBUTADIAKIESE

    6 Feb 2026

    46 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  18. Top 5 Trending CVEs: 1 - CVE-2026-21509 2 - CVE-2025-55182 3 - CVE-2025-6978 4 - CVE-2025-8088 5 - CVE-2025-62203 #cve #cvetrends #cveshield #cybersecurity https://t.co/4Fua3CAN6W

    @CVEShield

    6 Feb 2026

    128 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  19. Amaranth-Dragon exploited WinRAR flaw CVE-2025-8088 within 10 days to deploy malicious RAR archives targeting government and law enforcement in Southeast Asia, using Telegram-based RATs and tailored lures. #Thailand #WinRARFlaw #AmaranthDragon https://t.co/FzwMNSSX4L

    @TweetThreatNews

    6 Feb 2026

    147 Impressions

    1 Retweet

    3 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    1 Reply

    0 Quotes

  20. #ThreatProtection Espionage activity in Southeast Asia is abusing WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 to deliver passworded archives, DLL-sideloaded loaders, and Havoc C2. Read more about our protections: https://t.co/DMuaVohpS1

    @threatintel

    6 Feb 2026

    1188 Impressions

    1 Retweet

    6 Likes

    2 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  21. 🚨 ด่วน!! พบกลุ่มAmaranth Dragon ใช้ช่องโหว่ CVE-2025-8088 ในการโจมตีแบบมุ่งเป้ากับหน่วยงานต่าง ๆ 🚨 ผู้ใช้งานและผู้ดูแล

    @ThaiCERTByNCSA

    5 Feb 2026

    70 Impressions

    1 Retweet

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  22. 圧縮・解凍ソフトのWinRARの脆弱性を中国系ハッキング グループがサイバー攻撃へ悪用(CVE-2025-8088) https://t.co/vGSVoZLJUK #セキュリティ対策Lab #セキュリティ #Security #CybersecurityNews

    @securityLab_jp

    5 Feb 2026

    250 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    1 Quote

  23. Amaranth-Dragon exploits critical WinRAR flaw CVE-2025-8088 to gain persistent access in Southeast Asian government networks after CISA adds the bug to the KEV list. Patching urged. #APT https://t.co/rHDtC8xxwK

    @threatcluster

    5 Feb 2026

    66 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  24. 🇨🇳 New Chinese APT 'Amaranth-Dragon' targets Southeast Asian governments. Exploits WinRAR flaw CVE-2025-8088 for initial access. Uses custom 'TGAmaranth RAT' with Telegram for stealthy C2. 🐉 #APT #CyberEspionage #AmaranthDragon 🔗 https://t.co/kkLMegZqKA

    @NetSecIO

    5 Feb 2026

    68 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  25. 🚨 Amaranth Dragon (APT41) explora WinRAR! Grupo chinês ataca governos do Sudeste Asiático. CVE-2025-8088 usada em campanhas de espionagem. Fonte: BleepingComputer https://t.co/IxZj0rWskP

    @colapsodigital

    5 Feb 2026

    44 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  26. China-linked Amaranth Dragon is exploiting a WinRAR flaw (CVE-2025-8088) in targeted espionage attacks on gov’t & law enforcement agencies. Patch WinRAR & monitor archives! https://t.co/plhzdVjJmX

    @sctocs25

    5 Feb 2026

    48 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  27. 🚨 WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 exploited in the wild to compromise Windows endpoints in targeted espionage campaigns Infosecurity Magazine reports active exploitation of the WinRAR path-traversal flaw (CVE-2025-8088) to gain initial access on Windows and deliver follow-on implants, wi

    @ThreatSynop

    5 Feb 2026

    52 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  28. Check Point | Amaranth-Dragon: Weaponizing CVE-2025-8088 for Targeted Espionage in the Southeast Asia https://t.co/Ts4TD047HJ

    @StopMalvertisin

    5 Feb 2026

    205 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    2 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    1 Reply

    0 Quotes

  29. 🚨 Amaranth-Dragon (APT41 nexus) weaponizes WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 to spy on Southeast Asian governments Security Affairs (citing Check Point) says the China-linked Amaranth-Dragon group rapidly exploited WinRAR path-traversal CVE-2025-8088 in 2025, using spear-phishing archives

    @ThreatSynop

    5 Feb 2026

    55 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  30. #threatreport #HighCompleteness Amaranth-Dragon: Weaponizing CVE-2025-8088 for Targeted Espionage in the Southeast Asia | 04-02-2026 Source: https://t.co/7Xluj5zLBW Key details below ↓ 🧑‍💻Actors/Campaigns: Amaranth-dragon (🧠motivation: cyber_espionage, cyber_crimina

    @rst_cloud

    5 Feb 2026

    74 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    1 Reply

    0 Quotes

  31. 🚨 Amaranth-Dragon weaponizes WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 to plant Startup persistence and deploy Havoc C2 Amaranth-Dragon (linked to China’s APT41) abuses WinRAR path traversal (CVE-2025-8088) to drop scripts into the Windows Startup folder, then uses DLL sideloading to run “Amar

    @ThreatSynop

    5 Feb 2026

    46 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  32. Amaranth-Dragon, linked to APT-41, launched targeted espionage in Southeast Asia exploiting CVE-2025-8088 via WinRAR, using custom loaders, encrypted payloads, and Telegram-based RATs against gov’t and law enforcement in Cambodia. #AmaranthDragon #Cambodia https://t.co/Ty8vVAMi

    @TweetThreatNews

    5 Feb 2026

    153 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  33. 🚨 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐂𝐕𝐄 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧! Amaranth Dragon targets WinRAR with CVE-2025-8088. Explore how this APT exploits file flaws and Telegram to evade detection and escalate attacks. 📖 Check the detailed report → https://t.c

    @PurpleOps_io

    5 Feb 2026

    60 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  34. China-linked Amaranth-Dragon exploits WinRAR vulnerability CVE-2025-8088 in targeted espionage campaigns against government and law enforcement agencies across Southeast Asia. #CyberSecurity #CVE20258088 #Infosec #ThreatIntel https://t.co/IAR4Mx4fvK

    @Prevent_Cyber

    5 Feb 2026

    55 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    1 Like

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  35. 🚨 Amaranth-Dragon weaponizes WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 to plant Startup persistence and deploy Havoc C2 Amaranth-Dragon (APT41-linked) is using WinRAR path traversal (CVE-2025-8088) to drop a malicious script into the Windows Startup folder for reboot persistence, then sideloading

    @ThreatSynop

    5 Feb 2026

    53 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  36. Amaranth Dragon, linked to APT41, exploits WinRAR flaw CVE-2025-8088 to target Southeast Asian government and law enforcement using encrypted payloads and Cloudflare-backed C2 infrastructure. #AmaranthDragon #CVE2025-8088 #SoutheastAsia https://t.co/3YdGillpmu

    @TweetThreatNews

    5 Feb 2026

    170 Impressions

    1 Retweet

    1 Like

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  37. Check Point Research linked Amaranth-Dragon to APT-41, revealing targeted 2025 campaigns against Southeast Asian governments using CVE-2025-8088, DLL sideloading, geo-restricted C2, and TGAmaranth RAT via Telegram. https://t.co/L5UeDvSDoC

    @Cyber_O51NT

    5 Feb 2026

    1014 Impressions

    6 Retweets

    15 Likes

    5 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  38. WinRAR 취약점(CVE-2025-8088)이 공개된 지 10일도 채 되지 않아 Amaranth-Dragon은 악성 RAR 아카이브를 공격에 활용하여 이 취약점을 악용하고 궁극적으로 피해 시스템에서 코드 실행 및 지속성을 확보 https://t.co/H2f3Vij7qy

    @ngnicky

    4 Feb 2026

    201 Impressions

    2 Retweets

    4 Likes

    1 Bookmark

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  39. 🚨 The Silent Startup Sabotage: How #CVE-2025-8088 Turns WinRAR into a Hacker's Backdoor + Video https://t.co/FMtEAkdpwy Educational Purposes!

    @UndercodeUpdate

    4 Feb 2026

    10 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  40. 中国系APT41と関連するとされる新たな脅威主体「Amaranth Dragon」が、WinRARの深刻な脆弱性を悪用し、東南アジアの政府機関や法執行機関を狙った諜報攻撃を展開していた。 Check Pointの調査によると、Amaranth Dragon

    @yousukezan

    4 Feb 2026

    1271 Impressions

    2 Retweets

    14 Likes

    2 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  41. 🚨 Amaranth-Dragon (APT41 nexus) weaponizes WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 for geo-fenced espionage in Southeast Asia Check Point Research links Amaranth-Dragon to highly targeted 2025 espionage ops against Southeast Asian government and law-enforcement entities, rapidly weaponizing WinR

    @ThreatSynop

    4 Feb 2026

    36 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  42. 🚨 Amaranth Dragon (APT41-linked) weaponizes WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 to drop Havoc C2 and a Telegram RAT in Southeast Asia Check Point-linked reporting says the actor abused WinRAR path traversal (CVE-2025-8088) to plant a malicious startup script, then used DLL sideloading to

    @ThreatSynop

    4 Feb 2026

    41 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    1 Bookmark

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  43. 🚨 China-linked “Amaranth-Dragon” weaponizes WinRAR zero-day to deploy stealth espionage tooling across Southeast Asia Check Point ties Amaranth-Dragon (linked to the APT41 ecosystem) to tightly-scoped spear-phishing campaigns abusing WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 via malicious RAR

    @ThreatSynop

    4 Feb 2026

    62 Impressions

    2 Retweets

    2 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    1 Reply

    0 Quotes

  44. Amaranth Dragon sfrutta CVE-2025-8088 per spionaggio mirato in Asia sudorientale Guerra Cibernetica, Amaranth Dragon, APT41, cina, Havoc, TGAmaranth, WinRAR https://t.co/bVbKdC7WqK https://t.co/XXoPI0AMMZ

    @matricedigitale

    4 Feb 2026

    45 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  45. New! 🐉 Amaranth Dragon, linked to APT41, targets gov/law enforcement using a WinRAR flaw (CVE-2025-8088). Details: https://t.co/iqvOlgoL0e #CyberEspionage #WinRAR #APT41 #CVE20258088

    @0xT3chn0m4nc3r

    4 Feb 2026

    5 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  46. In 2025, Amaranth-Dragon APT weaponized the popular WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 for targeted espionage across Southeast Asia. Custom loader, Telegram RAT, geofenced C2, and event-themed lures. https://t.co/0niy3adjUm

    @_CPResearch_

    4 Feb 2026

    9557 Impressions

    34 Retweets

    104 Likes

    40 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    4 Quotes

  47. Amaranth Dragon: not a cool retro game boss, but a new threat weaponizing CVE-2025-8088! They're like digital ninjas, but less honorable. Learn how to dodge their shadowy moves. 🕵️‍♀️ #CyberSecurity #ThreatIntel #CVE https://t.co/sBdNLyenno

    @zench4n

    4 Feb 2026

    67 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    1 Like

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  48. Amaranth Dragon, linked to APT41, exploits CVE-2025-8088 in WinRAR targeting government and law enforcement. The campaign underscores ongoing cyberespionage and the need for rapid patching and monitoring. Details: https://t.co/U7qb83EqQW

    @trubetech

    4 Feb 2026

    36 Impressions

    0 Retweets

    0 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

  49. 🇨🇳 China-linked Amaranth-Dragon targeted Southeast Asian government and law enforcement networks in 2025, with links to the APT41 ecosystem. Campaigns leveraged political lures and the WinRAR CVE-2025-8088 RCE flaw, using cloud delivery and geo-fenced infrastructure for st

    @TheHackersNews

    4 Feb 2026

    8810 Impressions

    28 Retweets

    66 Likes

    12 Bookmarks

    3 Replies

    0 Quotes

  50. '5_11_1_1055_03.02.2026.7z' is a RAR file with CVE-2025-8088 exploit, seen from Ukraine @abuse_ch https://t.co/UXeWY9dNjO @500mk500 https://t.co/E5ZIuvUEsq

    @smica83

    3 Feb 2026

    498 Impressions

    1 Retweet

    6 Likes

    0 Bookmarks

    0 Replies

    0 Quotes

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