CVE-2018-20251
In WinRAR versions prior to and including 5.61, there is path traversal vulnerability when crafting the filename field of the ACE format.…
- 5.5MediumCVSS base score
- 31.4%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 1.7% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
In WinRAR versions prior to and including 5.61, there is path traversal vulnerability when crafting the filename field of the ACE format. The UNACE module (UNACEV2.dll) creates files and folders as written in the filename field even when WinRAR validator noticed the traversal attempt and requestd to abort the extraction process. the operation is cancelled only after the folders and files were created but prior to them being written, therefore allowing the attacker to create empty files and folders everywhere in the file system.
Timeline
ID reserved
By checkpoint
- 48 days later
· 48 days later
Published
- 6 years later
· 6 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.0 | Medium5.5 | CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 31.4% · top 1.7% of all CVEs (11 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.5.
Affected products
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. · WinRAR
- affected All versions prior and including 5.61
References
References3
- https://research.checkpoint.com/extracting-code-execution-from-winrar/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- 106948 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- https://www.win-rar.com/whatsnew.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2018-12814 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2018-20251)Record last updated .