CVE-2019-25477: RAR Password Recovery Buffer Overflow

CVE-2019-25477 Overview

CVE-2019-25477 is a buffer overflow vulnerability affecting RAR Password Recovery version 1.80. This locally exploitable flaw allows attackers to crash the application by supplying an oversized payload in the registration dialog. The vulnerability occurs when malicious input strings exceeding 6000 bytes are pasted into the User Name and Registration Code fields, triggering an application crash due to improper bounds checking.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can cause a denial of service condition by crashing the RAR Password Recovery application through specially crafted oversized input in registration fields.

Affected Products

• RAR Password Recovery version 1.80

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-11 - CVE-2019-25477 published to NVD
• 2026-03-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25477

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), a memory corruption issue that occurs when the application writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory. The buffer overflow in RAR Password Recovery 1.80 manifests in the registration dialog component, which fails to properly validate the length of user-supplied input before copying it into fixed-size buffers.

When a user pastes an input string exceeding 6000 bytes into either the User Name or Registration Code field, the application attempts to store this data in a buffer that cannot accommodate such a large payload. This results in adjacent memory being overwritten, leading to application instability and an immediate crash. The vulnerability requires local access to exploit, as an attacker must interact directly with the application's graphical user interface.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2019-25477 is inadequate input validation in the registration dialog handler. The application allocates a fixed-size buffer for storing user registration information but fails to implement proper bounds checking before copying user input into this buffer. When input exceeds the expected maximum length (approximately 6000 bytes), the copy operation writes beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, corrupting adjacent memory structures and causing the application to crash.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is local, requiring the attacker to have direct access to a system running RAR Password Recovery 1.80. The exploitation process involves:

1. Launching the RAR Password Recovery application
2. Opening the registration dialog
3. Crafting a malicious payload exceeding 6000 bytes
4. Pasting the payload into the User Name or Registration Code field
5. Triggering the buffer overflow, which causes the application to crash

The vulnerability manifests when oversized input is supplied to the registration dialog fields. Technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the Exploit-DB #47285 advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25477

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes of the RAR Password Recovery application
• Application error logs showing access violations or memory corruption events
• Windows Event Log entries indicating RARPasswordRecovery.exe terminated unexpectedly
• Core dump files generated by the application crash

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for repeated application crashes of RAR Password Recovery
• Implement application allowlisting to detect unauthorized use of the vulnerable software
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions to identify abnormal process termination patterns
• Review system logs for repeated crashes of password recovery utilities

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Windows Error Reporting to capture crash data from affected applications
• Configure endpoint protection to alert on application stability issues
• Monitor for the presence of RAR Password Recovery version 1.80 in software inventory
• Review clipboard activity for unusually large data transfers targeting the application

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25477

Immediate Actions Required

• Discontinue use of RAR Password Recovery version 1.80
• Remove the vulnerable application from systems where it is not essential
• Restrict local access to systems running the vulnerable software
• Consider alternative password recovery tools that are actively maintained

Patch Information

No vendor patch information is available for this vulnerability. The software vendor has not released an updated version addressing this buffer overflow. Users should consider migrating to alternative solutions or accepting the risk if the application is required for operational purposes. For additional advisory information, refer to the VulnCheck Advisory.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to the RAR Password Recovery application to trusted users only
• Run the application in an isolated environment or virtual machine
• Implement application control policies to prevent unauthorized execution
• Monitor for suspicious clipboard operations when the application is in use

# Windows: Identify systems with vulnerable RAR Password Recovery installed
# PowerShell command to search for the vulnerable application
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*RAR Password Recovery*" }