CVE-2023-34293
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAshlar-Vellum Cobalt Out-Of-Bounds Write Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of X_B or X_T files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. . Was ZDI-CAN-18636.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt's parsing of X_B or X_T files. The lack of proper validation of user-supplied data during file parsing allows an attacker to write past the end of an allocated buffer, achieving remote code execution in the context of the current process. Exploitation requires user interaction—opening a malicious X_B or X_T file.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 12.0.1204.54CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Ashlar Cobalt installationSearch for Ashlar Cobalt in the installed programs list or look for the application executable (typically in Program Files or Program Files (x86))Affected if Ashlar Cobalt is present on the system
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Determine installed versionRight-click the Cobalt executable, select Properties, and check the File Version field, or use the application's About/Help menu to locate the version numberAffected if The version number is lower than 12.0.1204.54
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Identify X_B or X_T file handlingCheck if the Cobalt installation includes X_B or X_T file import/converters or if there are associated file type handlers registered in the system for these extensionsAffected if X_B or X_T file processing capabilities are present in the installation
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Review recent file accessCheck application logs, recent documents, or file access audit logs for any recently opened X_B or X_T files, especially from untrusted or unknown sourcesAffected if There are recent X_B or X_T file openings, particularly from external or untrusted origins
A system is affected if Ashlar Cobalt version is below 12.0.1204.54 and the X_B/X_T file parsing feature is present and has been used to open files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped12.0.1204.54
Avoid opening X_B or X_T files from untrusted sources. Apply vendor patches when available. Organizations should implement file sandboxing or endpoint protection for CAD/DWG file processing.
Cobalt version 12.0.1204.54 or later
- Identify the current installed version of Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt
- Backup all important CAD files and project data before proceeding with the upgrade
- Download the latest version of Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt from the official vendor website
- Install version 12.0.1204.54 or later, ensuring the upgrade completes successfully
- Verify the installed version matches or exceeds 12.0.1204.54
- Test that X_B and X_T file parsing functions correctly with the updated version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-34293 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-34293 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data