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NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2016-7976: The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.0—Weaponized Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: This week (action score 60/100)

  • A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
  • A ready-made attack tool exists and the flaw can be exploited over the network without an account, so priority is at least “This week”.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 23.4% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 97.8% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: ghostscript (Debian:12) 9.19~dfsg-3.1; ghostscript (Debian:7) 9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u3; ghostscript (Debian:8) 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u3.

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window. Upgrade to ghostscript (Debian:12) 9.19~dfsg-3.1; ghostscript (Debian:7) 9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u3; ghostscript (Debian:8) 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u3 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

Published
Aug 7, 2017
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
23.4% · 97th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

60

This week

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window.

CVSS
35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
7 / 30 · 23.4%
Ready-made attack tool
18 / 60 · floor: at least 60

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • Weaponized exploit exists
  • A fix has been released

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When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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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.

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Affected 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.

VendorProduct
artifexghostscript

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • artifex ghostscript9.18
  • artifex ghostscript9.20

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12ghostscriptbefore 9.19~dfsg-3.19.19~dfsg-3.1
Debian:7ghostscriptbefore 9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u39.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u3
Debian:8ghostscriptbefore 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u39.06~dfsg-2+deb8u3
openSUSE:Tumbleweedghostscriptbefore 9.20-2.19.20-2.1

Same product

artifex: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2017-8291Artifex Ghostscript through 2017-04-26 allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile…KEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2021-3781A trivial sandbox (enabled with the `-dSAFER` option) escape flaw was found in the ghostscript interpreter by injecting a specially crafted…
    64This week
  • CVE-2018-16509An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24.
    59Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2017-9835Jul 26, 2017 · The gs_alloc_ref_array function in psi/ialloc.c in Artifex Ghostscript 9.21 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service…
    32Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2017-11714Jul 28, 2017 · psi/ztoken.c in Artifex Ghostscript 9.21 mishandles references to the scanner state structure, which allows remote attackers to cause a…
    32Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2018-10194Apr 18, 2018 · The set_text_distance function in devices/vector/gdevpdts.c in the pdfwrite component in Artifex Ghostscript through 9.22 does not prevent…
    32Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:ghostscript9.19~dfsg-3.1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:ghostscript9.20-2.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Metasploit moduleexploit/unix/fileformat/imagemagick_delegateImageMagick Delegate Arbitrary Command Executionexploit2016-05-03

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.

  1. Metasploit-462 d
  2. Published
  3. TodayNov 15, 2026+3387 d
EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Not on record for this CVE: patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

References

Show all references (5 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records