CVE-2025-33028: WinZip Flaw Exposes Users to Silent Code Execution via MotW Bypass, No Patch - #CVE-2025-33028
A critical security vulnerability (CVE-2025-33028) has been discovered in WinZip version 29.0 (64-bit), allowing attackers to bypass Windows' Mark-of-the-Web (MotW) security feature. This flaw occurs when WinZip fails to retain the MotW flag on extracted files from downloaded archives, making them appear as safe local files. Consequently, attackers can execute arbitrary code on victims' systems by delivering crafted archives containing malicious files, potentially leading to malware installation, privilege escalation, and data theft. As of the report, no patch has been released by WinZip Computing. Users are advised to avoid opening untrusted archives with WinZip, use alternative tools that respect MotW, and implement endpoint protection against malicious macro execution to mitigate the risk.