Artifex Ghostscript allows attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism by leveraging exposure of system operators in the saved execut
Artifex Ghostscript allows attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism by leveraging exposure of system operators in the saved execution stack in an error object.
- Published
- Oct 15, 2018
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 2.7% · 86th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-200
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Report tools
Action score
26
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 25 / 40 · 6.3 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 2.7%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| artifex | ghostscript | cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| canonical | ubuntu linux | cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux |
| redhat | enterprise linux desktop | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop |
| 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 eus | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus |
| 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 ghostscriptup to 9.25 inclusive
- canonical ubuntu linux14.04
- canonical ubuntu linux16.04
- canonical ubuntu linux18.04
- canonical ubuntu linux18.10
- debian debian linux8.0
- debian debian linux9.0
- 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
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 9.25-r1 | 9.25-r1 |
| Debian:12 | ghostscript | before 9.25~dfsg-3 | 9.25~dfsg-3 |
| Debian:8 | ghostscript | before 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u11 | 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u11 |
| Debian:9 | ghostscript | before 9.25~dfsg-0+deb9u1 | 9.25~dfsg-0+deb9u1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript | before 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-cups | before 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-debuginfo | before 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-devel | before 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-doc | before 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-gtk | before 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | ghostscript | before 9.26-3.9.4 | 9.26-3.9.4 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 | libspectre | before 0.2.8-3.4.3 | 0.2.8-3.4.3 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | ghostscript | before 9.26-23.16.1 | 9.26-23.16.1 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | libspectre | before 0.2.7-12.4.1 | 0.2.7-12.4.1 |
Same product
artifex: all recordsOther 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 KEV90Now
- 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
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 | 9.25-r1 · Alpine:v3.10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:ghostscript | 9.25~dfsg-3 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-cups | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-debuginfo | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-devel | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-doc | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-gtk | 0:9.07-31.el7_6.6 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:ghostscript | 9.26-3.9.4 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:libspectre | 0.2.8-3.4.3 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 | 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
- 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
- none
- Availability
- none
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-200 · Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized ActorCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
nvd-primary
Root cause
The extension requests broader permissions than its function needs and sends the data it collects out for purposes beyond its stated function.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-200 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
{ "permissions": ["tabs", "<all_urls>"], "background": { "service_worker": "analytics.js" }}Fixed
{ "permissions": ["activeTab"], "host_permissions": ["https://yildiz.example/*"]}Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- ExcavationCAPEC-116likelihood: High · Medium
- Subverting Environment Variable ValuesCAPEC-13likelihood: High · Very High
- FootprintingCAPEC-169likelihood: High · Very Low
- Exploiting Trust in ClientCAPEC-22likelihood: High · High
- FingerprintingCAPEC-224likelihood: High · Very Low
- ICMP Echo Request PingCAPEC-285likelihood: Medium · Low
- TCP SYN ScanCAPEC-287Low
- Enumerate Mail Exchange (MX) RecordsCAPEC-290Low
ATT&CK techniques
- System Service DiscoveryT1007
- System Network Configuration DiscoveryT1016
- Remote System DiscoveryT1018
- System Owner/User DiscoveryT1033
- Masquerading: Match Legitimate Name or LocationT1036.005
- Network Service ScanningT1046
- System Network Connections DiscoveryT1049
- Process DiscoveryT1057
- Permission Groups DiscoveryT1069
- System Information DiscoveryT1082
- File and Directory DiscoveryT1083
- Account DiscoveryT1087
- Multi-Factor Authentication InterceptionT1111
- Peripheral Device DiscoveryT1120
- System Time DiscoveryT1124
- Access Token Manipulation:Token Impersonation/TheftT1134.001
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
- git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=34cc326eb2c5695833361887fe0b32e8d987741c
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/149758/Ghostscript-Exposed-System-Operators.html
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/10/10/12
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3834
- bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1690
- bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=699927
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/10/msg00013.html
- usn.ubuntu.com/3803-1/
- www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4336
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.