Episode Summary

A critical zero-day vulnerability in WinRAR (CVE-2025-8088) is being actively exploited by Russian-aligned criminal groups targeting UK businesses through malicious email attachments. Host Lucy Harper breaks down how two sophisticated threat actors are using this flaw to deploy ransomware and provides immediate steps to protect your business.

What You'll Learn

• How the WinRAR zero-day vulnerability allows criminals to hide malware in innocent-looking file attachments
• Why RomCom and Paper Werewolf threat actors are targeting UK financial, manufacturing, and logistics companies
• The devastating business impact of path traversal attacks that bypass traditional email security
• Four immediate actions to protect your business from ongoing WinRAR exploitation
• Why manual software updates create prolonged vulnerability windows for UK SMEs

Critical Statistics Mentioned

• 500+ million users globally at risk from WinRAR vulnerability CVE-2025-8088
• £80,000 price tag for the exploit reportedly sold on dark web forums
• July 18-21, 2025 active exploitation window when attacks began targeting European and Canadian businesses
• WinRAR version 7.13 contains the security patch released on July 30, 2025
• Two sophisticated threat actors (RomCom and Paper Werewolf) exploiting simultaneously
• Financial, manufacturing, defence, and logistics sectors primary targets for spearphishing campaigns
• Path traversal vulnerability affects WinRAR 7.12 and earlier versions
• Multiple malware families deployed: SnipBot variants, RustyClaw, and Mythic agents

Key Sources & References

• ESET Research: WinRAR Zero-Day Exploitation Discovery
• Help Net Security: CVE-2025-8088 Threat Analysis
• The Hacker News: RomCom Campaign Details
• Cybersecurity News: Paper Werewolf Threat Actor Analysis
• NIST National Vulnerability Database: CVE-2025-8088
• WinRAR Official Download: Version 7.13 Security Update
• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
• SOCRadar Threat Intelligence: Attack Campaign Analysis

Episode Sponsor

Equate Group - Comprehensive cybersecurity and IT services specialising in patch management, security awareness training, and incident response planning.

Visit www.equategroup.com

Your Next Steps

1. Update WinRAR to version 7.13 immediatelyon all business computers - this is emergency damage control, not optional maintenance.
2. Create verification checklists for every device and consider temporarily blocking .rar email attachments until deployment is complete.
3. If your organisation lacks internal IT capabilities, professional patch management services can automate this process across your entire infrastructure.

Source Verification Standards

All sources cited in this episode have been fact-checked and verified through multiple authoritative channels. ESET Research serves as the primary source for vulnerability discovery and exploitation details. Financial figures and exploit pricing are cross-referenced through cybersecurity intelligence firms. UK-specific data prioritises government sources and established UK technology security publications.

Disclaimer

This episode provides general guidance only. Always consult qualified cybersecurity professionals before making critical infrastructure changes. Content is based on independent research and industry best practices.

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Production: Small Business Cyber Security Guy Production

Host: Lucy Harper

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