CVE-2025-46652 in IZArc
Summary
by MITRE • 04/26/2025
In IZArc through 4.5, there is a Mark-of-the-Web Bypass Vulnerability. When a user performs an extraction from an archive file that bears Mark-of-the-Web, Mark-of-the-Web is not propagated to the extracted files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-46652 represents a significant security flaw in IZArc version 4.5 and earlier, specifically concerning the handling of Mark-of-the-Web (MOTW) attributes during archive extraction operations. This issue falls under the category of access control and trust boundary violations, where the security mechanism designed to protect users from potentially malicious content is effectively bypassed. The Mark-of-the-Web is a Windows security feature that marks files downloaded from the internet with a specific attribute, triggering security warnings and restricting execution permissions to prevent automatic code execution from untrusted sources. When IZArc processes archive files containing MOTW attributes, it fails to propagate these critical security markings to the extracted files, effectively removing the protective layer that would normally alert users to the potentially dangerous origin of the content.
The technical implementation flaw occurs at the file attribute handling level within IZArc's extraction engine, where the software does not properly maintain or transfer the security context associated with archived files. This bypass mechanism allows malicious actors to exploit the vulnerability by embedding harmful content within archive files that have been marked with MOTW to indicate their internet origin. The extraction process, which should preserve the security context of the original files, instead strips away these protective measures, leaving the extracted files without the necessary security warnings that would normally prevent their execution. This behavior creates a dangerous scenario where users might unknowingly execute files that were originally intended to be restricted due to their internet source, potentially leading to unauthorized code execution or privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file extraction, as it undermines the fundamental security model of Windows file execution policies and user protection mechanisms. Attackers can leverage this flaw by creating malicious archive files that contain both legitimate and malicious content, where the legitimate content retains its MOTW protection while the malicious payload is extracted without any security warnings. This creates a sophisticated attack vector that can bypass security controls designed to prevent automatic execution of downloaded content, potentially leading to system compromise, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within networks. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where users frequently handle archive files from external sources, making it a significant concern for organizations that rely on standard Windows security controls.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-46652 should focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The most direct solution involves updating to a patched version of IZArc that properly implements MOTW propagation during extraction operations, aligning with the principle of least privilege and secure by default design. Organizations should also implement additional layers of security monitoring to detect unusual extraction patterns or file access behaviors that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should consider implementing application control policies that restrict the execution of files extracted from archives, particularly those containing potentially malicious content. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining proper security context propagation across file operations and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers could leverage this bypass to execute malicious code through seemingly legitimate archive files. The issue also relates to CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permissions for critical resources, and CWE-353, which deals with lack of integrity checks, emphasizing the need for comprehensive file integrity and access control mechanisms throughout the software lifecycle.