Skip to content
Noroxi
CVE-2018-16863· NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

It was found that RHSA-2018:2918 did not fully fix CVE-2018-16509.

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)

  • 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: 1.2% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 68.9% 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 (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client) 0:9.07-31.el7_6.3; ghostscript-cups (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client) 0:9.07-31.el7_6.3; ghostscript-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client) 0:9.07-31.el7_6.3.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to ghostscript (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client) 0:9.07-31.el7_6.3; ghostscript-cups (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client) 0:9.07-31.el7_6.3; ghostscript-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client) 0:9.07-31.el7_6.3 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

It was found that RHSA-2018:2918 did not fully fix CVE-2018-16509. An attacker could possibly exploit another variant of the flaw and bypass the -dSAFER protection to, for example, execute arbitrary shell commands via a specially crafted PostScript document. This only affects ghostscript 9.07 as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.0—No exploit Fix available
Published
Dec 3, 2018
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
1.2% · 68th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

31

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 1.2%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
7.8
CNA · redhat
7.3
0.5 point gap

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

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

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.

Follow CVE-2018-16863

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

One daily email digest (06:00 UTC); connect a webhook for KEV listings and weaponized exploits instantly.

Your free account also gets you

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

  • Stack alerts: add the products and versions you run, get the new CVEs that affect them
  • Uptime monitoring: 1 site, instant email when it goes down
  • Add your domain: subdomains and takeover risk scanned every week (1 domain)
  • 10 scans an hour on the security tools (3 a day without an account), an API key and MCP
  • All your scans in one panel: findings, what changed in the last scan, a report per domain or per client (PDF, share link)
All free tools

Sign up with email · Have an account? Sign in

Free account, no card. Unfollow any time.

Don't want an account? Get "Exploited this week" by email every MondayDon't want an account? RSS feed for artifex records

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

Is your version affected? Check it

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 help

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
redhatenterprise linux desktop
redhatenterprise linux server
redhatenterprise linux server aus
redhatenterprise linux server eus
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 ghostscript9.07
  • redhat enterprise linux desktop7.0
  • redhat enterprise linux server7.0
  • redhat enterprise linux server aus7.6
  • redhat enterprise linux server eus7.6
  • redhat enterprise linux server tus7.6
  • redhat enterprise linux workstation7.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (redhat). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Artifex ghostscript

    • 9.07affected

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscriptbefore 0:9.07-31.el7_6.30:9.07-31.el7_6.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-cupsbefore 0:9.07-31.el7_6.30:9.07-31.el7_6.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-debuginfobefore 0:9.07-31.el7_6.30:9.07-31.el7_6.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-develbefore 0:9.07-31.el7_6.30:9.07-31.el7_6.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-docbefore 0:9.07-31.el7_6.30:9.07-31.el7_6.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientghostscript-gtkbefore 0:9.07-31.el7_6.30:9.07-31.el7_6.3

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-2016-7976The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
    60This week

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2018-19476Nov 23, 2018 · psi/zicc.c in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.26 allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions because of a setcolorspace type
    32Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2018-19477Nov 23, 2018 · psi/zfjbig2.c in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.26 allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions because of a JBIG2Decode typ
    32Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2018-19134Dec 20, 2018 · In Artifex Ghostscript through 9.25, the setpattern operator did not properly validate certain types.
    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
red hat:ghostscript0:9.07-31.el7_6.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-cups0:9.07-31.el7_6.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-debuginfo0:9.07-31.el7_6.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-devel0:9.07-31.el7_6.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-doc0:9.07-31.el7_6.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:ghostscript-gtk0:9.07-31.el7_6.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::clientPackage 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.

EPSS, last 120 days

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 researchers

Finders, 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-184 · Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.0/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.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (5 more)

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

All records