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Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) reported on October 18, 2023, that multiple government-backed hacking groups were exploiting CVE-2023-38831, a known WinRAR vulnerability, after a patch was available. The warning is about a gap between a fix being released and users installing it—not proof that every WinRAR installation was vulnerable or that the flaw remains unpatched today.
What Google reported about the 2023 WinRAR flaw
Google TAG said it had recently observed multiple government-backed groups exploiting CVE-2023-38831. The report also said cybercrime groups had begun exploiting the vulnerability earlier in 2023, while it was still unknown to defenders. By the time Google published its report, a patch was available, but many users still appeared vulnerable.
Google framed the risk as a slow-patching problem: “After a vulnerability has been patched, malicious actors will continue to rely on n-days and use slow patching rates to their advantage.” Here, an “n-day” is a known vulnerability for which a fix exists but has not necessarily reached every affected installation. Google TAG’s October 18, 2023 report is the source for these findings.
What the headline does—and does not—establish
The report supports the central warning: government-backed actors exploited CVE-2023-38831 after a patch was available. The available report information does not establish the exact patch release date or fixed WinRAR version, nor does it provide a basis here for naming the groups, their countries, targets, or malware. The headline’s “three months after patch” wording should therefore not be treated as a precise patch timeline.
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That distinction matters when checking a computer. Do not assume that a particular version—especially a version associated with a different WinRAR vulnerability—fixes CVE-2023-38831. To confirm protection against this 2023 flaw, check the applicable vendor security update and verify that it has actually been installed. The exact fixed version is not established by the cited 2023 report information.
Do not confuse CVE-2023-38831 with the 2025 WinRAR flaw
CVE-2025-8088 is a separate WinRAR vulnerability with its own disclosure, exploitation reporting, and fix. RARLAB’s notice says WinRAR 7.13, released July 30, 2025, addresses CVE-2025-8088. The vendor described a directory traversal issue affecting Windows WinRAR, RAR and UnRAR, UnRAR.dll, and portable UnRAR; it said Linux/Unix builds and RAR for Android were not affected by that flaw. RARLAB’s WinRAR 7.13 notice identifies the release and affected components.
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CISA added CVE-2025-8088 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on August 12, 2025. In a separate report dated January 27, 2026, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) described continued exploitation of CVE-2025-8088 by government-backed actors linked to Russia and China, as well as financially motivated actors. Those findings concern the 2025 flaw; they should not be read as details about the 2023 campaign. CISA’s KEV catalog records the later vulnerability, and GTIG’s January 2026 report discusses its exploitation.
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GTIG described CVE-2025-8088 as a path traversal flaw involving Windows NTFS Alternate Data Streams. A malicious archive could appear to contain a decoy document while carrying a hidden payload, and a crafted path could write a file to an unintended location such as the Windows Startup folder. A file placed there could run when a user later signs in. This mechanism describes CVE-2025-8088, not the 2023 CVE-2023-38831 campaign.
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How to check and respond
- Identify the vulnerability you are addressing. Use the CVE number in the alert or advisory. CVE-2023-38831 and CVE-2025-8088 are separate issues with different fix references.
- Check which WinRAR components and operating system are in use. For CVE-2025-8088, RARLAB’s notice identifies the affected Windows components and states that Linux/Unix builds and RAR for Android are unaffected. Do not apply that scope to the 2023 vulnerability.
- Verify the applicable fix with the vendor. For CVE-2025-8088, RARLAB identifies WinRAR 7.13 as the fixed release. For CVE-2023-38831, the 2023 Google report information cited here does not give the fixed version, so consult the vendor update applicable to that CVE rather than inferring a version.
- Confirm deployment, not just availability. Check the installed version on each relevant device and complete the update. A patch being available does not mean it has been installed.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security also identifies pre-7.13 WinRAR versions as affected by CVE-2025-8088 and advises applying the update. Its advisory is specific to the 2025 flaw.
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