CVE-2025-7997: Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt · Out-of-bounds Read
Affects Ashlar-Vellum CobaltSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:29 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 10% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 17 Sep 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
AI-suggested
- Immediate identification of all Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt 12 SP1 installations within the organization through asset inventory and software audits.
- Restrict or disable the opening of XE files from untrusted sources, including email attachments and downloads, using endpoint protection policies and file type restrictions.
- Implement network-level controls to block access to malicious websites that could host crafted XE files, including URL filtering and DNS security solutions.
- Enhance user awareness training focused on phishing and social engineering tactics that could deliver malicious files.
- Employ application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized execution of untrusted files and processes.
- Monitor endpoint and network logs for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected process launches or memory access violations.
- Coordinate with Ashlar-Vellum for timely patch deployment once available; consider contacting vendor support for any interim mitigations or updates.
- Use sandboxing or isolated environments for opening XE files when possible to contain potential exploitation.
- Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans tailored to potential compromise scenarios involving this vulnerability.
Description
Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt XE File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Read 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 XE files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a read before the start of an allocated data structure. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-26045.