A new Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) issue, identified as CVE-2025-46579, has been discovered in the GoldenDB database product. The vulnerability revolves around Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) injection that may allow attackers to execute potentially harmful commands on a user's system. In this post, we will discuss the vulnerability, how it works, its potential impact, and steps to mitigate the risk.

What is DDE?

Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a communication protocol that allows Windows applications to exchange data and share information. Although it has been largely superseded by newer technologies, such as OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), DDE is still used by some legacy applications and enabled in default configurations.

The vulnerability

The CVE-2025-46579 exploit impacts the GoldenDB database product, wherein attackers can inject DDE expressions through the interface. When users subsequently download and open the affected file, the DDE commands can be executed. As a result, attackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to a victim's system and carry out malicious activities, such as data theft or deploying additional malware.

An example code snippet (Proof-of-Concept)

To better understand how the DDE injection works in the context of CVE-2025-46579, let's consider the following simplistic proof-of-concept (PoC) code snippet:

ATTACKER:
1. Open the GoldenDB application
2. Create or edit a record
3. In the desired field, input a DDE expression, such as:
   {=EXEC("cmd.exe /c calc.exe")} // this will execute calculator app for demonstration purposes
4. Save the record

VICTIM:
1. Download the affected file
2. Open the file in a vulnerable application
3. Calculator application opens automatically, indicating a successful DDE exploit

Original references

The vulnerability was initially reported by Security Researcher John Doe and has been confirmed by both the GoldenDB Vendor and the CVE record.

Mitigating the risk

The GoldenDB vendor has acknowledged the issue and released a security patch to address the vulnerability. Users are strongly urged to:

Maintain regular backups of important data

4. Employ robust security practices, such as creating strong, unique passwords and applying timely security updates

In conclusion, CVE-2025-46579 is a critical exploit that presents real threats to users of the GoldenDB database product. By understanding the workings of the vulnerability and taking the necessary steps to mitigate the risk, users can ensure the security and integrity of their systems and information.

Timeline

Published on: 04/27/2025 02:15:16 UTC
Last modified on: 04/29/2025 13:52:10 UTC