Security Resilience

CVE-2023-44437

Ashlar Cobalt ≤ 12.0.1204.78

Published
03 May 2024
Modified
08 August 2025
CVSS Score v3 7.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0037 29th percentile
Risk Priority 57 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-44437 is a high-severity Uncontrolled Search Path Element (CWE-427) vulnerability in Ashlar Cobalt. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking (T1574.008); ranked at the 29th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A08:2025 Software or Data Integrity Failures

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Ashlar-Vellum Cobalt Uncontrolled Search Path Element 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…

more

malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of various file types. The process loads a library from an unsecured location. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. . Was ZDI-CAN-21540.

CWE(s)
CWE-427

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1574.008 Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the search order used to load other programs.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574.004 Dylib Hijacking Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own payloads by placing a malicious dynamic library (dylib) with an expected name in a path a victim application searches at runtime.
attack.mitre.org →
T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control
Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.
attack.mitre.org →
T1001.002 Steganography Command And Control
Adversaries may use steganographic techniques to hide command and control traffic to make detection efforts more difficult.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.003 NTDS Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access or create a copy of the Active Directory domain database in order to steal credential information, as well as obtain other information about domain members such as devices, users, and access rights.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-7992Same product: Ashlar Cobalt
CVE-2025-7989Same product: Ashlar Cobalt
CVE-2023-42101Same product: Ashlar Cobalt
CVE-2025-8006Same product: Ashlar Cobalt
CVE-2025-8003Same product: Ashlar Cobalt
CVE-2025-7977Same product: Ashlar Cobalt
CVE-2025-7997Same product: Ashlar Cobalt
CVE-2025-8004Same product: Ashlar Cobalt
CVE-2023-35714Same product: Ashlar Cobalt
CVE-2025-2012Same product: Ashlar Cobalt

Affected Assets

ashlar
cobalt
≤ 12.0.1204.78

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 2 hardening rules · 1 OS baseline
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

—

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

CM-6 Configuration Settings good match

Establishes restrictive configuration settings that can define and lock down approved search paths.

AC-3 Access Enforcement partial match

Enforces approved authorizations so that only intended actors can place or modify elements in the search path.

AC-6 Least Privilege partial match

Limits privileges so unintended actors cannot write to or control directories in the product's search path.

CM-5 Access Restrictions for Change partial match

Restricts logical and physical access to change system configuration, including search-path settings and directories.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-01 partial match
blocks

Hardened configuration baselines can enforce safe search-path settings and reduce exposure.

PR.PS-05 partial match
blocks

Execution allow-listing can block malicious binaries placed in hijackable search locations.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure-development practices directly address design of search paths and resource loading.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.8.10 Information deletion partial match
removes

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
  • V-248577 OL 8 must enable kernel parameters to enforce Discretionary Access Control (DAC) on symlinks. blocks CWE-427

References