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Big Vulnerability hits 7-Zip file archiver - gets patched - Download v18.05
If you use, you can and should download v18.05 of the popular 7-Zip file archiver. The free to use WinZip replacement has a very critical vulnerability for which all it needed was a specially prepped RAR file.
This has been addressed with the release of has been fixed with v18.05, I am highlighting this new v18.05 release this much as this is a pretty bad one as it allows remote execution, based on just a RAR file. The security researcher (landave.io) who discovered the vulnerability informed the developer of 7-Zip on the 6th of March this year. it has patched with the release of 7-Zip 18.05, which not only fixes the vulnerability but also adds ASLR security measures.
7-Zip is one of the most popular archivers available on the web, downloaded nearly 450 million times from Sourceforge alone. All users of 7-Zip are advised to update the software to the latest version, I've made a local mirror on Guru3D, which can be downloaded from here.
> Download
Kaarme
Senior Member
Posts: 1887
Joined: 2013-03-10
Senior Member
Posts: 1887
Joined: 2013-03-10
#5543366 Posted on: 05/03/2018 08:22 AM
Thanks for the heads-up! I doubt I'd have noticed a thing like this otherwise.
Thanks for the heads-up! I doubt I'd have noticed a thing like this otherwise.
386SX
Senior Member
Posts: 873
Joined: 2017-06-26
Senior Member
Posts: 873
Joined: 2017-06-26
#5543370 Posted on: 05/03/2018 08:37 AM
@BlueRay: Please keep in mind even update servers may infect themselfes. This has been done in the past multiple times. The last time I know was some kind of banking software which downloaded an infected update (crypto trojan) from its compromised update servers. Because autoupdates were ON by default, half its clients were infected.
On the one hand may be wise to let programs autoupdate themselfes if you trust them >>and the whole chain<<.
On the other hand it may be even better to disable autoupdates and do the patching the manual way on critical infrastructure. Remember the time when Windows 10 updates broke some computers? (Isn't it still a thing today?)
My grandma would be better off with autoupdates which >>I<< enable, for the most important programs.
Personally I feel safer with a weekly "patchday", where I download (or check for) program updates. A big PRO is you do not have to have dozens of programs running in the background, checking for updates every few minutes / hours. Saves bandwidth, ressources and therefore energy (a small bit). "Green IT by disabling autoupdaters." ;-)
I used 7-zip for many many years and still use it today. It offers all the formats you want your archive program to support. RAR, ZIP, 7Z, WIM, ISO and a lot more is supported. That is what I care of the most, after the fact it's free without any hidden fees and does not come with any spyware, adware, other crap bundled. ("Hi FlashPlayer!").
I do not care about the security issue found here. Honestly: Every program has these. But after escalating the issue to the publisher you see if you may trust them in the future. If a bug does not get patched, this is far worse from my point of view than a program who has thousands of bugs but they get fixed in week 1. The publishers of 7-zip did their job right and fixed the bug. They communicated this to the public the right way (AFTER the patch is available but still in a reasonable "short" period of time), so no bad feelings about this.
@BlueRay: Please keep in mind even update servers may infect themselfes. This has been done in the past multiple times. The last time I know was some kind of banking software which downloaded an infected update (crypto trojan) from its compromised update servers. Because autoupdates were ON by default, half its clients were infected.
On the one hand may be wise to let programs autoupdate themselfes if you trust them >>and the whole chain<<.
On the other hand it may be even better to disable autoupdates and do the patching the manual way on critical infrastructure. Remember the time when Windows 10 updates broke some computers? (Isn't it still a thing today?)
My grandma would be better off with autoupdates which >>I<< enable, for the most important programs.
Personally I feel safer with a weekly "patchday", where I download (or check for) program updates. A big PRO is you do not have to have dozens of programs running in the background, checking for updates every few minutes / hours. Saves bandwidth, ressources and therefore energy (a small bit). "Green IT by disabling autoupdaters." ;-)
I used 7-zip for many many years and still use it today. It offers all the formats you want your archive program to support. RAR, ZIP, 7Z, WIM, ISO and a lot more is supported. That is what I care of the most, after the fact it's free without any hidden fees and does not come with any spyware, adware, other crap bundled. ("Hi FlashPlayer!").
I do not care about the security issue found here. Honestly: Every program has these. But after escalating the issue to the publisher you see if you may trust them in the future. If a bug does not get patched, this is far worse from my point of view than a program who has thousands of bugs but they get fixed in week 1. The publishers of 7-zip did their job right and fixed the bug. They communicated this to the public the right way (AFTER the patch is available but still in a reasonable "short" period of time), so no bad feelings about this.
fantaskarsef
Senior Member
Posts: 11479
Joined: 2014-07-21
Senior Member
Posts: 11479
Joined: 2014-07-21
#5543371 Posted on: 05/03/2018 08:38 AM
IT department uses 7zip, no update queued as of right now.
IT department releases win10 on newer (Dell) laptops, and I'm not sure they know what to deactivate and what not.
As you might think, my trust in my company's IT department is not that big
IT department uses 7zip, no update queued as of right now.
IT department releases win10 on newer (Dell) laptops, and I'm not sure they know what to deactivate and what not.
As you might think, my trust in my company's IT department is not that big
BlueRay
Senior Member
Posts: 271
Joined: 2015-11-18
Senior Member
Posts: 271
Joined: 2015-11-18
#5543383 Posted on: 05/03/2018 09:20 AM
@386SX I understand that but a notification prompting user to go to the website and download the new version is the bare minimum for security. It is the most popular zip tool yet it expects users to read tech blogs to find out their version is not secure. This is bad.
@386SX I understand that but a notification prompting user to go to the website and download the new version is the bare minimum for security. It is the most popular zip tool yet it expects users to read tech blogs to find out their version is not secure. This is bad.
Click here to post a comment for this news story on the message forum.
Senior Member
Posts: 271
Joined: 2015-11-18
Yet it doesn't have an auto update or an update notifier. And this is why it's bad and dangerous when applications can't auto update.