WinRAR cyber threat alerts have prompted the Indian government to issue an urgent advisory to its personnel after discovering that a Pakistan-linked hacking group is exploiting vulnerabilities in the popular file archiving software. According to a Moneycontrol report, the attackers are using the flaw to deploy dangerous trojans like AllaKore and Ares, targeting sensitive defence and government networks. WinRAR, a widely used tool for managing compressed files, has now become an unexpected cybersecurity risk.

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According to a report in MoneyControl, this is the latest in a string of attacks that government organisations in India have been facing from foreign nation-state linked cyber threat actors. These threat actors typically target institutions such as defence bodies and so on to steal sensitive information.

A previous report by Moneycontrol highlighted alerts regarding cyber threat actors linked to Pakistan and China targeting Indian officials.

What are the techniques that these Pakistan linked hackers use : 

An advisory reviewed by the publication, released on April 9 by the government, revealed that the group known as SideCopy is capitalising on the WinRAR vulnerability to silently run code that install remote access trojans (RATs) such as AllaKore or Ares.

The security advisory detailed that the deployed payload is capable of stealing system information, recording keystrokes, capturing screenshots, managing file uploads and downloads, and remotely controlling the compromised system to execute commands and relay pilfered data to a command and control (C2) server.

Active since at least 2019, SideCopy is believed to be a Pakistani group that predominantly targets South Asian nations, especially the Indian defence sector and entities in Afghanistan.

Their typical strategy involves dispatching phishing emails containing defence-related baits. These emails bear harmful attachments that, once opened, install RATs to seize control over the targeted system.

The government’s advisory also included recommendations for officials to upgrade WinRAR to its most recent version, identify and segregate infected systems from the network, and conduct a thorough security audit of their cyber security infrastructure.

WinRAR is a file archiver utility for Windows that can create and view archives in RAR or ZIP formats, and unpack many archive file formats.

In its latest cybersecurity advisory, the Indian government has recommended immediate action to mitigate this threat. Officials have been urged to update WinRAR to its latest version, isolate potentially infected systems, and perform a thorough audit of their IT infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts have also emphasized the importance of regular system patching, user awareness training, and network monitoring to identify unusual activities early.

This incident highlights how everyday tools like WinRAR, which millions of users rely on for file compression, can become attack vectors when left unpatched. The misuse of such utilities by state-sponsored groups reflects the growing sophistication of modern cyberwarfare.

Conclusion :

The WinRAR cyber threat is a stark reminder that no software, however routine, is immune to exploitation. As government agencies and defence organizations remain prime targets, ensuring that third-party tools and systems are regularly updated is vital.

Cybersecurity experts warn that threats from groups like SideCopy are not likely to fade soon. The Indian government’s proactive response — through timely advisories and stronger infrastructure audits — demonstrates increasing awareness of evolving digital risks. For organizations handling sensitive data, investing in advanced endpoint protection and email security solutions like those offered by IT Monteur’s cybersecurity division can make a crucial difference in defending against such attacks.