Artifex Ghostscript through 2017-04-26 allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile
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
- 97.0% · 100th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-843
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Report tools
Action score
90
Now
Patch today or shut off access.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 29 / 30 · 97.0%
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 government agencies: Jun 14, 2022.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| artifex | ghostscript | cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| redhat | enterprise linux desktop | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop |
| redhat | enterprise linux eus | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus |
| redhat | enterprise linux server | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server |
| redhat | enterprise linux server aus | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus |
| redhat | enterprise linux server tus | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus |
| redhat | enterprise linux workstation | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_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
- 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.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.10 | ghostscript | before 9.21-r2 | 9.21-r2 |
| Alpine:v3.2 | ghostscript | before 9.21-r0 | 9.21-r0 |
| Debian:12 | ghostscript | before 9.20~dfsg-3.1 | 9.20~dfsg-3.1 |
| Debian:7 | ghostscript | before 9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u6 | 9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u6 |
| Debian:8 | ghostscript | before 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u5 | 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u5 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | ghostscript | before 9.54.0-2.2 | 9.54.0-2.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript | before 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript-debuginfo | before 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript-devel | before 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript-doc | before 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | ghostscript-gtk | before 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript | before 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 | 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-cups | before 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 | 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-debuginfo | before 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 | 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-devel | before 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 | 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-doc | before 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 | 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-gtk | before 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 | 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | ghostscript | before 9.15-22.1 | 9.15-22.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | ghostscript | before 9.15-20.1 | 9.15-20.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | ghostscript-library | before 8.62-32.46.1 | 8.62-32.46.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | ghostscript-library | before 8.62-32.44.1 | 8.62-32.44.1 |
Same product
artifex: all recordsOther 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-2018-16509An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24.59Plan
- CVE-2019-6116In Artifex Ghostscript through 9.26, ephemeral or transient procedures can allow access to system operators, leading to remote code executio43Plan
- CVE-2019-14813A flaw was found in ghostscript, versions 9.x before 9.50, in the setsystemparams procedure where it did not properly secure its privileged 42Plan
- CVE-2016-7976The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.42Plan
- CVE-2023-28879In Artifex Ghostscript through 10.01.0, there is a buffer overflow leading to potential corruption of data internal to the PostScript interp41Plan
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine:ghostscript | 9.21-r2 · Alpine:v3.10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| Debian:ghostscript | 9.20~dfsg-3.1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| openSUSE:ghostscript | 9.54.0-2.2 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| Red Hat:ghostscript | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| Red Hat:ghostscript-cups | 0:9.07-20.el7_3.5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| Red Hat:ghostscript-debuginfo | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| Red Hat:ghostscript-devel | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| Red Hat:ghostscript-doc | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| Red Hat:ghostscript-gtk | 0:8.70-23.el6_9.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| SUSE:ghostscript | 9.15-20.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| SUSE:ghostscript-library | 8.62-32.44.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | Package 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 ×4
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.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exploit-DB entry | local | 2017-05-02 |
| Exploit-DB entry | local | 2017-05-02 |
| Metasploit module | exploit/unix/fileformat/ghostscript_type_confusionGhostscript Type Confusion Arbitrary Command Executionexploit | 2017-04-27 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2025-04-27 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2025-04-27 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2025-06-13 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2025-12-03 |
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.
- Published
- Metasploitsame day
- First PoC+5 d
- CISA KEV+1853 d
- TodaySep 29, 2026+3443 d
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
- 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.
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
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/04/28/2
- www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3838
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/98476
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:1230
- bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=697808
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1446063
- git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=04b37bbce174eed24edec7ad5b920eb93db4d47d
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201708-06
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2017-8291
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.