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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2023-38831: RARLAB WinRAR · Insufficient Type Distinction

Affects RARLAB WinRARSource CVE Database V5

0

Exploited in the wild · used in ransomware campaigns · KEV due 14 Sep 2023 · public exploit available (Metasploit) · 99% EPSS : upgrade to 6.23 now.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
KEV deadline
 US federal agencies must patch by this date; a sensible deadline for everyone else. Other KEV due dates
Ransomware
Used in ransomware campaigns
EPSS
99.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 99% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 6.23
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 23 Aug 2023

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: evidence found.

    1 Metasploit module

  4. Exploited in the wild: evidence found.

    Listed in CISA KEV 1 day after disclosure

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

Timeline

  1. CVE ID reserved

    by MITRE Corporation

    , 29 days before disclosure

  2. CVE published

    on cve.org

    , t = 0

  3. Added to CISA KEV (opens in a new tab)

    exploitation confirmed · ransomware use known

    , 1 day after disclosure

  4. KEV remediation due

    US federal deadline

    , 22 days after disclosure

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CISA KEV (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade RARLAB WinRAR to 6.23.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
RARLAB WinRARAffected
  • <6.23
Fixed in
  • 6.23

Description

CVE-2023-38831 is a high-severity remote code execution vulnerability affecting WinRAR versions prior to 6.23. The flaw allows an attacker to execute malicious code when a user opens a specially crafted ZIP archive containing a benign file and a folder with the same name. Exploitation requires user interaction but no privileges or authentication. This vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild from April to October 2023. The CVSS score of 7.8 reflects significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. European organizations using vulnerable WinRAR versions, especially those processing ZIP files from untrusted sources, are at risk. Mitigation involves updating WinRAR to version 6.23 or later and implementing strict archive handling policies.

References

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