If you use 7-Zip, it’s time to patch. The free file-archiving program on Windows can be exploited to launch malware if it encounters a secretly booby-trapped file or website.
An advisory about the software vulnerability was posted last week, warning that a hacker could abuse the flaw to run rogue computer code via 7-Zip installations.
Details about the flaw, which was uncovered by researcher Landon Peng, remain under wraps to prevent attackers from exploiting it. But the report indicates that the problem stems from how 7-Zip processes the XZ data compression format. Specially crafted XZ data can trigger a software coding error in the program, leading to a buffer overflow, in which extra data spills into adjacent memory sections, overwriting them.
“An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process,” says the advisory from the Zero Day Initiative, which independent security researchers use to disclose flaws. “User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file.”
7-Zip is often used to open compressed archive files. So, it’s not hard to see how a hacker could exploit the vulnerability by circulating malicious XZ archives online to deliver malware to PCs running the free software. 7-Zip has been around since 1999 and has likely been downloaded tens of millions of times.
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7-Zip patched the vulnerability with a June 25 update (version 26.02). However, the program lacks an auto-update feature, so users must download and install the latest version to remain protected.
WinRAR, another free and popular archiving program, has suffered similar flaws and also lacks an auto-update function. As a result, hackers have been able to continue targeting vulnerable WinRAR users, despite the availability of a patch.
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I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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