CVE-2025-7979
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 Graphite VC6 File Parsing Stack-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Ashlar-Vellum Graphite. 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 VC6 files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a stack-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-25463.
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 confidenceStack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Ashlar-Vellum Graphite's VC6 file parser. The flaw results from insufficient validation of user-supplied data length before copying to a stack buffer, allowing an attacker to overwrite return addresses and achieve RCE via malicious VC6 files.
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= 13.0.48CVSS 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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Confirm Ashlar Graphite is installedLocate the Graphite application on the system - typical install paths include C:\Program Files\Ashlar\Graphite or C:\Program Files (x86)\Ashlar\Graphite. Check Start Menu or program directories for 'Ashlar Graphite' or 'Graphite' entries.Affected if Ashlar Graphite software is not found on the system, then the CVE does not apply.
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Identify installed Graphite versionRight-click the Graphite executable (usually named Graphite.exe), select Properties, then navigate to the Details tab to view the File Version. Alternatively, open Graphite, go to Help > About Ashlar Graphite to display the version number.Affected if The installed version is exactly 13.0.48 - versions before or after this specific release are not affected by this CVE.
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Verify VC6 file parser functionality is accessibleConfirm the application can process VC6 files - attempt to locate or create a test VC6 file within the application, or check File > Open dialog for .vc6 file type support. Look for Graphite's file import capabilities.Affected if The VC6 file parser feature must be present and functional. If the VC6 file handling module does not exist or is disabled in this version, the vulnerability cannot be triggered.
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Check for recent VC6 file usageReview recent files opened in Graphite or check the application's recent documents list for .vc6 file extensions. Also inspect any VC6 files present in accessible directories.Affected if If no VC6 files have been opened or are present in the environment, exploitation is not possible even on affected versions.
The environment is affected only if Ashlar Graphite version 13.0.48 is installed AND the VC6 file parser feature is accessible and can process malicious VC6 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.
From vendor dataDo not open untrusted VC6 files until a vendor patch is available. Apply any available security updates from Ashlar-Vellum.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-7979 — 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-2025-7979 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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