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NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2017-8291: Artifex Ghostscript through 2017-04-26 allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile…

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1KEVWeaponized Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Now (action score 90/100)

  • CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (May 24, 2022). Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Jun 14, 2022.
  • A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 96.9% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.8% of all records.
  • Someone with local access to the system 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 (Alpine:v3.10) 9.21-r2; ghostscript (Alpine:v3.2) 9.21-r0; ghostscript (Debian:12) 9.20~dfsg-3.1.

Patch today or shut off access. Upgrade to ghostscript (Alpine:v3.10) 9.21-r2; ghostscript (Alpine:v3.2) 9.21-r0; ghostscript (Debian:12) 9.20~dfsg-3.1 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 · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS

Artifex Ghostscript through 2017-04-26 allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile (%pipe%" substring in a crafted .eps document that is an input to the gs program, as exploited in the wild in April 2017.

Published
Apr 26, 2017
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
96.9% · 99th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

90

Now

Patch today or shut off access.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV
30 / 30 · Listed
EPSS
29 / 30 · 96.9%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
active
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Actively exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on May 24, 2022. That signals real attacks, not theory.

Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Jun 14, 2022.

Get told when this record changes

  • In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
  • Weaponized exploit exists
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2017-8291

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
debiandebian linux
redhatenterprise linux desktop
redhatenterprise linux eus
redhatenterprise linux server
redhatenterprise linux server aus
redhatenterprise linux server tus
redhatenterprise linux workstation

Affected versions

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

  • artifex ghostscriptbefore 9.21
  • debian debian linux8.0
  • redhat enterprise linux desktop6.0
  • redhat enterprise linux desktop7.0
  • redhat enterprise linux eus7.3
  • redhat enterprise linux eus7.4
  • redhat enterprise linux eus7.5
  • redhat enterprise linux eus7.6
+12 more rows
  • redhat enterprise linux eus7.7
  • redhat enterprise linux server6.0
  • redhat enterprise linux server7.0
  • redhat enterprise linux server aus7.3
  • redhat enterprise linux server aus7.4
  • redhat enterprise linux server aus7.6
  • redhat enterprise linux server aus7.7
  • redhat enterprise linux server tus7.3
  • redhat enterprise linux server tus7.6
  • redhat enterprise linux server tus7.7
  • redhat enterprise linux workstation6.0
  • redhat enterprise linux workstation7.0

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Alpine:v3.10ghostscriptbefore 9.21-r29.21-r2
Alpine:v3.2ghostscriptbefore 9.21-r09.21-r0
Debian:12ghostscriptbefore 9.20~dfsg-3.19.20~dfsg-3.1
Debian:7ghostscriptbefore 9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u69.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u6
Debian:8ghostscriptbefore 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u59.06~dfsg-2+deb8u5
openSUSE:Tumbleweedghostscriptbefore 9.54.0-2.29.54.0-2.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientghostscriptbefore 0:8.70-23.el6_9.20:8.70-23.el6_9.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientghostscript-debuginfobefore 0:8.70-23.el6_9.20:8.70-23.el6_9.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientghostscript-develbefore 0:8.70-23.el6_9.20:8.70-23.el6_9.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientghostscript-docbefore 0:8.70-23.el6_9.20:8.70-23.el6_9.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientghostscript-gtkbefore 0:8.70-23.el6_9.20:8.70-23.el6_9.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscriptbefore 0:9.07-20.el7_3.50:9.07-20.el7_3.5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-cupsbefore 0:9.07-20.el7_3.50:9.07-20.el7_3.5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-debuginfobefore 0:9.07-20.el7_3.50:9.07-20.el7_3.5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-develbefore 0:9.07-20.el7_3.50:9.07-20.el7_3.5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-docbefore 0:9.07-20.el7_3.50:9.07-20.el7_3.5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-gtkbefore 0:9.07-20.el7_3.50:9.07-20.el7_3.5
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1ghostscriptbefore 9.15-22.19.15-22.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1ghostscriptbefore 9.15-20.19.15-20.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4ghostscript-librarybefore 8.62-32.44.18.62-32.44.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4ghostscript-librarybefore 8.62-32.46.18.62-32.46.1

Same product

artifex: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • 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-2016-7976The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
    60This 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-2016-8602Apr 14, 2017 · The .sethalftone5 function in psi/zht2.c in Ghostscript before 9.21 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application…
    32Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2017-7948Apr 19, 2017 · Integer overflow in the mark_curve function in Artifex Ghostscript 9.21 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds…
    31Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2017-8908May 12, 2017 · The mark_line_tr function in gxscanc.c in Artifex Ghostscript 9.21 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds…
    22Monitor

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
alpine:ghostscript9.21-r2 · Alpine:v3.10Package registry (OSV)
debian:ghostscript9.20~dfsg-3.1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:ghostscript9.54.0-2.2 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-cups0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-debuginfo0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-devel0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-doc0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-gtk0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientPackage registry (OSV)
suse:ghostscript9.15-20.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1Package registry (OSV)
suse:ghostscript-library8.62-32.44.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4Package 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
  • Exploit-DB entry ×2
  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×2

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
Exploit-DB entrylocal2017-05-02
Exploit-DB entrylocal2017-05-02
Metasploit moduleexploit/unix/fileformat/ghostscript_type_confusionGhostscript Type Confusion Arbitrary Command Executionexploit2017-04-27
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:02025-06-13
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:02025-12-03

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. Published
  2. Metasploitsame day
  3. First PoC+5 d
  4. CISA KEV+1853 d
  5. TodayNov 13, 2026+3488 d

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

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system 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
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-843 · Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

References

Show all references (8 more)

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

All records