NHS Warns of PoC Exploit for 7-Zip Symbolic Link
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2025-11001 | Directory Traversal RCE in 7-Zip ZIP Symbolic Link Handling CVE-2025-11001 is a directory traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) in 7-Zip's handling of symbolic links inside ZIP archives, which an attacker can leverage for arbitrary code execution. Exploitation requires interaction with the product — typically a user opening or extracting a crafted ZIP (the CVSS vector is local with user interaction required), though real-world attack vectors vary by implementation — allowing the attacker to escape the intended extraction directory and run code with the privileges of the account doing the extraction, often a service account. Any 7-Zip installation that processes untrusted archives, from desktop users to server-side automation and pipelines, is potentially affected; the disclosure data does not specify a vulnerable version range. Security outlets report a public proof-of-concept and active exploitation in the wild, and the UK NHS has issued an advisory; the flaw carries a high EPSS score (27% probability of exploitation within 30 days, 98th percentile) but is not yet in CISA's KEV catalog. Do: Update 7-Zip to the latest patched release available from the vendor (the exact fixed version number is not specified in this data). Until patched, avoid opening or auto-extracting ZIP archives from untrusted sources — especially archives containing symbolic links — and audit any server-side jobs, CI pipelines, or gateway services that invoke 7-Zip on external archives, since code executes with the service account's privileges; related coverage also flags code execution via crafted XZ archives, so treat those cautiously as well. Given reports of in-the-wild exploitation and the NHS advisory, prioritize patching shared and high-interaction systems. | 7.8 | 27% |
| masstens of millions of installations worldwide | ||
| CVE-2025-11002 | 7-Zip ZIP File Parsing Directory Traversal Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. 7-Zip ZIP File Parsing Directory Traversal Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of 7-Zip. Interaction with this product is required to exploit this vulnerability but attack vectors may vary depending on the implementation. The specific flaw exists within the handling of symbolic links in ZIP files. Crafted data in a ZIP file can cause the process to traverse to unintended directories. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of a service account. Was ZDI-CAN-26743. NVD description · AI analysis pending | 7.8 | <1% |
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Full article396 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse
Ravie LakshmananNov 19, 2025Vulnerability / Threat Intelligence
Update: The NHS England Digital, in an updated advisory on November 20, 2025, said it has not observed in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2025-11001, but noted that it's "aware of a public proof-of-concept exploit." It has since removed what it said were "erroneous references" to active exploitation.
The original story follows below -
A recently disclosed security flaw impacting 7-Zip has come under active exploitation in the wild, according to an advisory issued by the U.K. NHS England Digital on Tuesday.
The vulnerability in question is CVE-2025-11001 (CVSS score: 7.0), which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code. It has been addressed in 7-Zip version 25.00 released in July 2025.
"The specific flaw exists within the handling of symbolic links in ZIP files. Crafted data in a ZIP file can cause the process to traverse to unintended directories," Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) said in an alert released last month. "An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of a service account."
Ryota Shiga of GMO Flatt Security Inc., along with the company's artificial intelligence (AI)-powered AppSec Auditor Takumi, has been credited with discovering and reporting the vulnerability.
It's worth noting that 7-Zip 25.00 also resolves another flaw, CVE-2025-11002 (CVSS score: 7.0), that allows for remote code execution by taking advantage of improper handling of symbolic links within ZIP archives, resulting in directory traversal. Both shortcomings were introduced in version 21.02.
"Active exploitation of CVE-2025-11001 has been observed in the wild," NHS England Digital said. However, there are currently no details available on how it's being weaponized, by whom, and in what context.
Given that there exists proof-of-concept (PoC) exploits, it's essential that 7-Zip users move quickly to apply the necessary fixes as soon as possible, if not already, for optimal protection.
"This vulnerability can only be exploited from the context of an elevated user / service account or a machine with developer mode enabled," security researcher Dominik (aka pacbypass), who released the PoC, said in a post detailing the flaw. "This vulnerability can only be exploited on Windows."
(The story was updated after publication to note that the vulnerability is not under active exploitation as previously mentioned.)
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Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://thehackernews.com/2025/11/hackers-actively-exploiting-7-zip.html