CVE-2025-7988: 
NixOS vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-7988 is a vulnerability discovered in Ashlar-Vellum Graphite software that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations. The vulnerability was initially reported to the vendor on December 19, 2024, and was later published as a zero-day advisory on July 22, 2025. The vulnerability received a CVSS score of 7.8 (High) with the vector string AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (ZDI Advisory).

The vulnerability exists within the parsing of VC6 files in Ashlar-Vellum Graphite. The specific flaw stems from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated buffer (out-of-bounds write). This technical issue requires user interaction for exploitation, specifically requiring the target to visit a malicious page or open a malicious file (ZDI Advisory).

When successfully exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The high CVSS score of 7.8 indicates significant potential impact on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system (ZDI Advisory).

Given the nature of the vulnerability, the only salient mitigation strategy is to restrict interaction with the product. As of the advisory publication date, no vendor-provided patches were available (ZDI Advisory).