Malicious Startup LNK Dropped by WinRAR via CVE-2025-8088 Path Traversal

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1203Exploitation for Client Execution
Persistence
- T1547.001Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
Priv Esc
- T1547.001Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects the WinRAR process writing a shortcut (.lnk) file into a user or common Startup folder, behavior produced when RomCom and others exploit the CVE-2025-8088 alternate data stream path traversal flaw to gain persistence. Archive tools should not place shortcuts into autostart locations, so this write indicates exploitation and persistence installation.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1547.001 — drag to rearrange

PureHVNC RAT Persistence via SwiftWrite Internet Shortcut in Startup Folder (via file_event)

Suspicious APT37 Run Key Persistence Masquerading as OneDrive Updater (via process_creation)

Malicious Axios npm Compromise Run Key Persistence as MicrosoftUpdate (via registry_set)

Suspicious Run Key Persistence via Reg Add

Suspicious Run Key Persistence Pointing to ProgramData Executable

Possible WSHRAT Persistence via Run Key Silent Script Execution

Malicious Run Key Persistence via wininfo64 Path by Italian Infostealer (via registry_set)

Malicious WinRAR CVE-2023-38831 Script Host Child Process via Process Chain (via process_creation)

Suspicious Double Extension with Trailing Space via CVE-2023-38831

Malicious Startup LNK Dropped by WinRAR via CVE-2025-8088 Path Traversal

Pivot detection · T1547.001 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →