CVE-2023-42102
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 AR File Parsing Type Confusion 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 AR files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a type confusion condition. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. . Was ZDI-CAN-20409.
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 confidenceA type confusion vulnerability in Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt's AR file parser allows remote code execution. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied data during AR file parsing, where lack of proper type checking enables an attacker to manipulate object types and achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process.
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= 12.0.1204.61CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/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 if Ashlar Cobalt is installedCheck your system's installed programs list (Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or macOS Applications folder) for an application named 'Ashlar Cobalt', 'Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt', or similar Ashlar productsAffected if Ashlar Cobalt appears in installed programs
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Determine installed Ashlar Cobalt versionRight-click the Ashlar Cobalt executable or application, select Properties, then look at the Version or Details tab. Alternatively, launch the application and check Help > About or the application splash screen for the version numberAffected if Version displayed equals 12.0.1204.61 exactly
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Confirm AR file association is activeCheck if .AR files are associated with Ashlar Cobalt - look in Windows Default Apps > File type associations, or right-click any .AR file and verify Ashlar Cobalt is set as the default openerAffected if AR files open with Ashlar Cobalt by default or Ashlar Cobalt is registered as a handler for .AR extension
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Check for recent AR file usageReview recent files opened in Ashlar Cobalt, or check the application's recent documents list for .AR file entriesAffected if User has recently opened .AR files in Ashlar Cobalt
You are affected if Ashlar Cobalt version 12.0.1204.61 is installed and the application is configured to handle AR files, as the vulnerability triggers during AR file parsing.
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.
From vendor dataAvoid opening untrusted AR files in Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt until an official patch is released. Consider disabling file associations for AR files or using application sandboxing to limit exposure.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-42102 — 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-2023-42102 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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