Overview
A critical vulnerability, dubbed as CVE-2025-53705, has been discovered in multiple versions of Ashlar-Vellum software. The affected applications fail to properly validate user-supplied data, leading to potential out-of-bounds write scenarios. This vulnerability can be exploited to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process, posing a significant threat to system security and data integrity.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-53705
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Arbitrary code execution, potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt | Prior to 12.6.1204.204
Ashlar-Vellum Xenon | Prior to 12.6.1204.204
Ashlar-Vellum Argon | Prior to 12.6.1204.204
Ashlar-Vellum Lithium | Prior to 12.6.1204.204
Cobalt Share | Prior to 12.6.1204.204
How the Exploit Works
The exploit leverages the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data in the targeted applications. When parsing CO files, the affected software fails to properly check the bounds of data, leading to an out-of-bounds write. An attacker, by supplying maliciously crafted data, can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary code within the context of the current process.
Conceptual Example Code
The following pseudocode gives a conceptual demonstration of how the vulnerability might be exploited.
def exploit(target):
malicious_data = craft_malicious_data() # Function to craft malicious data
co_file = create_co_file(malicious_data) # Function to create a CO file with malicious data
# Simulate user interaction that leads to the parsing of the crafted CO file
user_interaction = simulate_user_interaction(target, co_file)
if user_interaction:
execute_arbitrary_code(target) # Function to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current processMitigation
Users of the affected software are advised to update to the latest version (12.6.1204.204 or later). If unable to do so, consider using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary mitigation measure until a patch can be applied.