# Ashlar-Vellum CAD suite buffer overflow and memory corruption vulnerabilities

Published: 2025-08-12 · Severity: routine · Sectors: manufacturing
Canonical: https://vorant.io/reports/3d8b3c54-1cf0-5e98-89bb-cc4d6fb8a249/ashlar-vellum-cad-suite-buffer-overflow-and-memory-corruption-vulnerabilities

> Four memory corruption flaws in Ashlar-Vellum CAD products allow arbitrary code execution via malformed file parsing; patch available.

CISA released an advisory on August 12, 2025 covering four memory corruption vulnerabilities affecting Ashlar-Vellum's CAD suite: Cobalt, Xenon, Argon, Lithium, and Cobalt Share. All versions prior to 12.6.1204.204 are vulnerable. The flaws stem from insufficient validation of user-supplied data when parsing proprietary file formats (.CO, .AR, .XE, .VC6), resulting in out-of-bounds writes, out-of-bounds reads, and heap-based buffer overflows. A successful attacker can disclose information or execute arbitrary code in the context of the application's process.

The vulnerabilities require local attack surface—exploitation is triggered by convincing a user to open a malicious file. Attack complexity is low, and user interaction is required. CVSS v4 base scores are 8.4 for each flaw. CISA has received no reports of in-the-wild exploitation as of publication date. The advisory was filed by researcher Michael Heinzl. The affected products are deployed in critical manufacturing infrastructure worldwide.

## Mentioned in this report

- Vulnerabilities: CVE-2025-41392, CVE-2025-46269, CVE-2025-52584, CVE-2025-53705

## Detection guidance (public sample)

### Ashlar-Vellum CAD Application Spawning Shell or Script Interpreter

ATT&CK: T1204.002

Detects Ashlar-Vellum CAD applications (Cobalt, Xenon, Argon, Lithium) spawning command shells, script hosts or common LOLBins, which may indicate code execution after a malicious CAD file (.CO, .AR, .XE, .VC6) triggered a memory corruption flaw. Auto-generated starting point — validate and tune in your environment before deploying. IOC matches can false-positive on shared infrastructure and decay as adversary infrastructure rotates.

```yaml
title: Ashlar-Vellum CAD Application Spawning Shell or Script Interpreter
description: Detects Ashlar-Vellum CAD applications (Cobalt, Xenon, Argon, Lithium)
  spawning command shells, script hosts or common LOLBins. This may indicate arbitrary
  code execution after a user opened a malicious CAD file that triggered an out-of-bounds
  write or heap overflow. Generalises on the parent/child relation, not on any file
  name.
tags:
- attack.execution
- attack.t1204.002
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_parent_name:
    ParentImage|endswith:
    - \Cobalt.exe
    - \Xenon.exe
    - \Argon.exe
    - \Lithium.exe
  selection_parent_path:
    ParentImage|contains: \Ashlar-Vellum\
  selection_child:
    Image|endswith:
    - \cmd.exe
    - \powershell.exe
    - \pwsh.exe
    - \wscript.exe
    - \cscript.exe
    - \mshta.exe
    - \rundll32.exe
    - \regsvr32.exe
    - \certutil.exe
    - \bitsadmin.exe
    - \msbuild.exe
  condition: 1 of selection_parent_* and selection_child
falsepositives:
- CAD plugins or installers/updaters that launch cmd.exe or rundll32.exe from the
  application directory
- Engineering macros or export scripts that call a shell from the CAD application
level: medium
id: 76756598-2ea1-5b58-a162-6466952789af
status: experimental
author: Vorant
references:
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-25-224-01
```

Behavioural rules are generated from public reporting — validate in your environment before deploying.

Source reporting: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-25-224-01

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