CVE-2023-31102: 7-Zip Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

7-Zip is one of the most popular file archivers in the world and for good reason. It’s free, open-source, and supports a wide range of archive formats. However, a recent vulnerability discovered in 7-Zip could allow attackers to remotely execute code on vulnerable systems.

The vulnerability, CVE-2023-31102 (CVSS score of 7.8), is an integer underflow vulnerability in the parsing of 7Z files. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious 7Z file that, when opened by the victim, will cause the 7-Zip application to overwrite memory with arbitrary code. This code can then be executed, giving the attacker full control over the victim’s system.

This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely. An attacker can simply trick the victim into opening a malicious 7Z file, perhaps by sending it to them in an email or uploading it to a malicious website. Once the victim opens the file, the exploit will be executed without any further interaction from the user.

The good news is that 7-Zip has already released a patch for this vulnerability. 7-Zip users are urged to update to version 23.01 as soon as possible.

Here are some tips to protect yourself from this vulnerability:

• Keep your 7-Zip software up to date.
• Be careful about opening 7Z files from untrusted sources.
• Use a virus scanner to scan all 7Z files before opening them.
• Enable exploit protection features in your operating system, such as Windows Defender Exploit Guard or macOS XProtect.

CVE-2023-31102 is a serious vulnerability that can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the victim’s computer. Users and organizations should take steps to protect themselves from this vulnerability by upgrading to the latest version of 7-Zip and being careful about what files they open.