Skip to main content
Critical Vulnerability Found in WinRAR Could Affect Millions of Users

A security vulnerability has been found in WinRAR, a file archiver and compressor utility for Windowsthat is estimated to be used by more than half a billion users. The vulnerability, if exploited, allows remote attackers to execute system specific code to compromise a computer.
A proof-of-concept exploit for WinRAR SFX v5.21 has been published. Iranian researcher Mohammad Reza Espargham reported the vulnerability to Full Disclosure, a popular forum for disclosure of security information. "The vulnerability allows unauthorised remote attackers to execute system specific code to compromise a target system," he said.
The vulnerability is said to affect all versions of WinRAR SFX, making its users extremely prone to attacks. Security firm MalwareBytes has independently confirmed the existence of the critical vulnerability in the said application.
The vulnerability, if exploited, allows a remote attacker to execute malicious code when a victim tries to unzip an SFX archive file, a type of RAR file that is often used to safeguard executable files. "Basically, the attack uses the option to write HTML code in the text display window when creating a SFX archive," writes MalwareBytes.
What makes the vulnerability, which has been flagged as critical, even more alarming is the fact that it requires very low user interaction. If the affected file is open, the malware could compromise the device or network. As of now, the vulnerability is yet to be patched.
Which is why you should be extra careful while handling any SFX archive, and probably not open an SFX file that you have received from an untrusted source. This is a good rule to follow for any file on the Internet of course, and even more so for self-executing files like exe and SFX. WinRAR developer RAR Labs in the meantime has responded to the issue, and said, "Executable files are potentially dangerous by design. Run them only if they are received from a trustworthy source. WinRAR self-extracting (SFX) archives are not less or more dangerous than other exe files."
Download the Gadgets 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the latest tech news, product reviews, and exclusive deals on the popular mobiles.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to find and remove duplicate files from PC uplicate files can cause all kinds of problems on your computer, taking up precious storage room, confusing your photo or media manager apps, and generally getting in the way of searches and other operations when you'd rather they didn't. You don't have to accept duplicate files as an inevitability of running a PC, though: Here's how to get rid of them. Duplicate files can crop up for all kinds of reasons: Maybe you downloaded a file, forgot it was there, and then downloaded it again; maybe you copied a folder of images and then never got around to getting rid of the originals. Whatever the reason, they clog up your disk space and shouldn't be left to gather dust. For the purposes of this guide we're going to use DupeGuru-it's Lifehacker's pick as the best duplicate file finder for Windows, and it's available for Mac and Linux as well. If you're not taken with DupeGuru, then some of the best al...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fix error 0xc000007b “The Application Was Unable To Start Correctly”

Fix error 0xc000007b “The Application Was Unable To Start Correctly” Windows is one of the most popular OS ( Operating System ) used today by several users. There are lot of versions available for the Windows. The most popular version of the window is Window 7.0. Some user switches to the newest version but still there are lot of people who is using the older version. There is one of the most common error  “The application was unable to start correctly 0xc00007b”  is faced by the all windows user. Today we are going to show you how to solve this error.  Before we get to the solutions of this error let’s take a look at the reason behind this error. There could be any reason of this error but we listed some of the most common reason for this error. The 32-bit app tries to execute on a 64-bit system. You might be trying to play a Game on your PC and after launching the application, error code  0xc00007b  may flash on your screen. You might be...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gmail Automation

Gmail Automation: 5 Useful Google Scripts to Automate Your Gmail 1. Auto delete emails after X number of days Very often, after we read the email, we will just keep it in our inbox, regardless whether it is useful or not. While Google gives you tons of space to store your emails, you might still want to clean up your inbox and get rid of those useless emails. The following script can check emails with the “Delete Me” label and delete them after “x” number of days. 1. Go to  Google Scripts  and create a blank project (make sure you are logged into your Google account). Paste the following script and save it. function auto_delete_mails ( ) { var label = GmailApp.getUserLabelByName ( "Delete Me" ) ; if ( label == null ) { GmailApp.createLabel ( 'Delete Me' ) ; } else { var delayDays = 2 // Enter # of days before messages are moved to trash var maxDate = new Date ( ) ; maxDate.setDate ( maxDate.getDate ( ) -delay...
Post a Comment
Read more