Ghostscript 8.71 and earlier reads initialization files from the current working directory, which allows local users to execute arbitrary Po
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 28/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.50% (FIRST EPSS).
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: ghostscript (Debian:12) 8.71~dfsg2-6.1; ghostscript (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6; ghostscript-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to ghostscript (Debian:12) 8.71~dfsg2-6.1; ghostscript (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6; ghostscript-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
Ghostscript 8.71 and earlier reads initialization files from the current working directory, which allows local users to execute arbitrary PostScript commands via a Trojan horse file, related to improper support for the -P- option to the gs program, as demonstrated using gs_init.ps, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-4820.
- Published
- Jul 22, 2010
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.5% · 41th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-17
Report tools
Action score
28
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 28 / 40 · 7.2 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.5%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens
Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| artifex | afpl ghostscript | cpe:2.3:a:artifex:afpl_ghostscript |
| artifex | ghostscript fonts | cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript_fonts |
| artifex | gpl ghostscript | cpe:2.3:a:artifex:gpl_ghostscript |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- artifex afpl ghostscript6.0
- artifex afpl ghostscript6.01
- artifex afpl ghostscript6.50
- artifex afpl ghostscript7.00
- artifex afpl ghostscript7.03
- artifex afpl ghostscript7.04
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.00
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.11
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.12
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.13
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.14
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.50
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.51
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.52
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.53
- artifex afpl ghostscript8.54
- artifex ghostscript fonts6.0
- artifex ghostscript fonts8.11
- artifex gpl ghostscriptup to 8.71 inclusive
- artifex gpl ghostscript8.01
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | ghostscript | before 8.71~dfsg2-6.1 | 8.71~dfsg2-6.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | ghostscript | before 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 | 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | ghostscript-debuginfo | before 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 | 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | ghostscript-gtk | before 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 | 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | ghostscript-devel | before 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 | 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript | before 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 | 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript-debuginfo | before 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 | 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript-devel | before 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 | 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript-doc | before 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 | 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript-gtk | before 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 | 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 |
Same product
artifex: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2009-3743Off-by-one error in the Ins_MINDEX function in the TrueType bytecode interpreter in Ghostscript before 8.71 allows remote attackers to execu39Monitor
- CVE-2009-4897Buffer overflow in gs/psi/iscan.c in Ghostscript 8.64 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of ser39Monitor
- CVE-2017-6196Multiple use-after-free vulnerabilities in the gx_image_enum_begin function in base/gxipixel.c in Ghostscript before ecceafe3abba2714ef9b43232Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- Later →CVE-2010-4054Oct 23, 2010 · The gs_type2_interpret function in Ghostscript allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (incorrect pointer dereference and appli18Monitor
- Later →CVE-2015-3228Aug 11, 2015 · Integer overflow in the gs_heap_alloc_bytes function in base/gsmalloc.c in Ghostscript 9.15 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a d28Monitor
- Later →CVE-2013-5653Mar 7, 2017 · The getenv and filenameforall functions in Ghostscript 9.10 ignore the "-dSAFER" argument, which allows remote attackers to read data via a 23Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:ghostscript | 8.71~dfsg2-6.1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript | 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-debuginfo | 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-devel | 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-doc | 0:8.70-11.el6_2.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-gtk | 0:8.70-6.el5_7.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- C · data can be read
- Integrity
- C · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- C · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Confidentiality impact
- C
- Integrity impact
- C
- Availability impact
- C
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-17 · DEPRECATED: CodeCVSS vector
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (17 more)Show less
- bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=583183
- bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=583316
- bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=691350
- lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2010-July/043913.html
- lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2010-July/043948.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-08/msg00001.html
- savannah.gnu.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=6368
- secunia.com/advisories/40452
- secunia.com/advisories/40475
- secunia.com/advisories/40532
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-201412-17.xml
- www.osvdb.org/66247
- www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/511433
- www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/511476
- www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/1757
- bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=608071
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=599564
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.