CobaltApplication · Ashlar

CVE-2025-2014

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2025-03-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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 · unedited
Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt VS File Parsing Use of Uninitialized Variable 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 VS files. The issue results from the lack of proper initialization of memory prior to accessing it. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-25235.

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 confidence

A use-of-uninitialized-variable vulnerability exists in the VS file parser of Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt CAD software. The flaw results from improper memory initialization during VS file parsing, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process by enticing users to open malicious VS files.

MitigationUsers should avoid opening VS files from untrusted sources. The vendor must patch the memory initialization issue in the VS file parser to prevent code execution.

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
CobaltApplication
Affected:= 12.0.1204.91

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify Ashlar Cobalt installation
    Check for Ashlar Cobalt in installed programs (Windows: Registry HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall or Programs and Features; Mac: /Applications folder)
    Affected if Ashlar Cobalt is not installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Open Ashlar Cobalt, go to Help > About, or check the executable file properties (right-click cobalt.exe > Properties > Details) for the version number
    Affected if Version is exactly 12.0.1204.91
  3. Compare against affected version
    Compare your installed version number to the affected version 12.0.1204.91 - note this CVE affects only this exact version
    Affected if Installed version equals 12.0.1204.91
  4. Identify VS file handler presence
    Check if the application can handle .vs files by attempting to open a known benign VS file or examining file association settings for .vs extension
    Affected if VS file parsing capability exists and .vs files can be opened by the application

You are affected if Ashlar Cobalt version 12.0.1204.91 is installed and the application can open VS files, as the vulnerability triggers upon parsing a malicious VS file.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Users should avoid opening VS files from untrusted sources. The vendor must patch the memory initialization issue in the VS file parser to prevent code execution.

Fix this in Cobalt Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-2014 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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
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