CVE-2025-52331
📋 TL;DR
A cross-site scripting vulnerability in WinRAR's generate report function allows attackers to inject malicious HTML into reports, potentially disclosing user information like computer username, report directory, and IP address. This affects users of WinRAR 7.11 who generate and open reports. User interaction is required as victims must open a maliciously crafted report.
💻 Affected Systems
- Rarlab WinRAR
📦 What is this software?
Winrar by Rarlab
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal sensitive user information, execute arbitrary scripts in the user's context, or redirect to malicious sites for further exploitation.
Likely Case
Information disclosure of system details (username, IP, directory paths) which could aid in targeted attacks or reconnaissance.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if users avoid opening untrusted reports or have script-blocking browser extensions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious report); proof-of-concept details are publicly available in the GitHub gist reference.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check vendor websites for updates beyond 7.11
Vendor Advisory: https://www.rarlab.com/rarnew.htm
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Visit https://www.win-rar.com/download.html. 2. Download and install the latest version of WinRAR. 3. Verify the version is updated beyond 7.11.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Generate Report Functionality
windowsAvoid using the generate report feature in WinRAR to prevent exploitation.
Use Browser Security Settings
allConfigure browsers to block scripts or open reports in a sandboxed environment.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Educate users to never open WinRAR reports from untrusted sources.
- Implement application whitelisting to restrict execution of WinRAR reports.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WinRAR version: if it is 7.11, it is vulnerable. Use the generate report function with a test payload to see if HTML injection occurs.Check Version:
Open WinRAR, go to Help > About WinRAR, and check the version number.Verify Fix Applied:
Update WinRAR to the latest version and retest the generate report function; ensure no HTML injection occurs.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file access patterns related to report generation
- User reports of unexpected behavior when opening WinRAR reports
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections to suspicious domains triggered by report opening
SIEM Query:
Search for process executions of WinRAR with command-line arguments containing 'report' or file extensions like .html/.htm from WinRAR directories.