CVE-2025-7985 is a high-severity integer overflow vulnerability affecting Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt version 1204.96, specifically in the parsing of VC6 files. The vulnerability arises due to improper validation of user-supplied data, which leads to an integer overflow before buffer allocation. This overflow can cause the application to allocate an incorrectly sized buffer, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code within the context of the current process. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as opening a maliciously crafted VC6 file or visiting a malicious webpage that triggers the vulnerability. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound) and has a CVSS v3.0 score of 7.8, indicating high severity. The attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), but user interaction (UI:R). The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high, as arbitrary code execution can lead to full system compromise. No known exploits are currently in the wild, but the vulnerability was publicly disclosed on September 17, 2025. The lack of available patches at the time of disclosure increases the urgency for mitigation. This vulnerability is critical for environments where Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt is used to process VC6 files, especially in design, engineering, or manufacturing sectors that rely on this software for CAD or modeling tasks.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-7985 can be significant, particularly for companies in the manufacturing, engineering, and design industries that utilize Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt for product development. Successful exploitation could lead to remote code execution, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access, steal intellectual property, disrupt operations, or deploy further malware. Given the high confidentiality and integrity impact, sensitive design data could be exfiltrated or altered, potentially causing financial loss and reputational damage. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering could be used to deliver the malicious VC6 files, increasing the risk in organizations with less mature security awareness. Additionally, the lack of patches at disclosure means organizations must rely on mitigations until updates are available, prolonging exposure. The vulnerability could also be leveraged as an entry point for broader network compromise, affecting supply chains and partners across Europe.

1. Immediately implement strict file handling policies to restrict the opening of untrusted or unsolicited VC6 files within Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt environments. 2. Educate users on the risks of opening files from unknown or untrusted sources, emphasizing the specific threat of malicious VC6 files. 3. Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to limit the execution context of Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt, reducing the impact of potential exploitation. 4. Monitor network and endpoint activity for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected process launches or network connections originating from the application. 5. Use advanced email filtering and attachment scanning to detect and block malicious VC6 files before they reach end users. 6. Coordinate with Ashlar-Vellum for timely patch deployment once available, and prioritize patching affected systems. 7. Consider implementing virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) or isolated environments for handling VC6 files to contain potential compromise. 8. Regularly back up critical design and engineering data to enable recovery in case of compromise.