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 d
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 denial of service (crash) via a crafted Postscript (ps) file, as demonstrated by using the ps2pdf command, which triggers an out-of-bounds read or write.
- Published
- Aug 11, 2015
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 3.7% · 89th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-189
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Report tools
Action score
28
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 27 / 40 · 6.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 3.7%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| artifex | afpl ghostscript | cpe:2.3:a:artifex:afpl_ghostscript |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- artifex afpl ghostscriptup to 9.15 inclusive
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 9.15~dfsg-1 | 9.15~dfsg-1 |
| Debian:6.0 | ghostscript | before 8.71~dfsg2-9+squeeze2 | 8.71~dfsg2-9+squeeze2 |
| Debian:7 | ghostscript | before 9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u2 | 9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u2 |
| Debian:8 | ghostscript | before 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u1 | 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | ghostscript | before 9.20-2.1 | 9.20-2.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | ghostscript | before 9.15-6.5 | 9.15-6.5 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | ghostscript-library | before 8.62-32.38.1 | 8.62-32.38.1 |
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
- CVE-2010-2055Ghostscript 8.71 and earlier reads initialization files from the current working directory, which allows local users to execute arbitrary Po28Monitor
- CVE-2013-5653The getenv and filenameforall functions in Ghostscript 9.10 ignore the "-dSAFER" argument, which allows remote attackers to read data via a 23Monitor
- CVE-2010-4054The gs_type2_interpret function in Ghostscript allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (incorrect pointer dereference and appli18Monitor
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 | 9.15~dfsg-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:ghostscript | 9.20-2.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:ghostscript | 9.15-6.5 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:ghostscript-library | 8.62-32.38.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | 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
If successful
- Confidentiality
- P · data can be read
- Integrity
- P · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- P · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- M
- Confidentiality impact
- P
- Integrity impact
- P
- Availability impact
- P
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-189 · Numeric ErrorsCVSS vector
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=696041
- bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=696070
- git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=0c0b0859
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/07/23/14
- www.debian.org/security/2015/dsa-3326
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinjul2016-3090568.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/76017
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1033149
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2697-1
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1232805
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201612-33
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.