Detect CVE-2025-6218: RARLAB WinRAR Path Traversal Exploitation in Elastic Security
Detects exploitation of CVE-2025-6218, a path traversal vulnerability in RARLAB WinRAR. Attackers can craft malicious archive files that, when extracted, write files outside the intended extraction directory, enabling arbitrary file placement on the victim system. This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild (CISA KEV) and can lead to code execution, persistence, or privilege escalation by dropping malicious files to sensitive locations such as startup folders, system directories, or application data paths.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Initial Access Execution Persistence
Elastic Detection Query
file where process.name : "WinRAR.exe" and
event.action : ("creation", "overwrite") and
(
file.path : (
"*\\AppData\\Roaming\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Startup\\*",
"*\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Startup\\*",
"*\\Windows\\System32\\*",
"*\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\*",
"*\\Windows\\Tasks\\*",
"*\\Windows\\Temp\\*"
) or
file.path : "*..\\*" or
file.path : "*../*"
)EQL rule detecting WinRAR process creating files in sensitive or unexpected directories consistent with CVE-2025-6218 path traversal.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Legitimate software packaging tools using WinRAR in CI/CD pipelines
- System administrators intentionally extracting archives to protected system paths
- AV or EDR software interacting with WinRAR extraction processes
Other platforms for CVE-2025-6218
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 3 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1WinRAR Path Traversal to Startup Folder
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 11 (FileCreate) with Image=WinRAR.exe and TargetFilename pointing to the Startup folder path
- Test 2WinRAR Extraction with Relative Path Traversal Sequence
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 11 with TargetFilename containing path traversal sequence and WinRAR.exe as the initiating process
- Test 3WinRAR Drop Executable to Windows Tasks Directory
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 11 (FileCreate) with Image containing WinRAR.exe and TargetFilename matching C:\Windows\Tasks\*
Unlock Pro Content
Get the full detection package for CVE-2025-6218 including response playbook, investigation guide, and atomic red team tests.