A flaw was found in all versions of ghostscript 9.x before 9.50, where the `.charkeys` procedure, where it did not properly secure its privi
A flaw was found in all versions of ghostscript 9.x before 9.50, where the `.charkeys` procedure, where it did not properly secure its privileged calls, enabling scripts to bypass `-dSAFER` restrictions. An attacker could abuse this flaw by creating a specially crafted PostScript file that could escalate privileges within the Ghostscript and access files outside of restricted areas or execute commands.
- Published
- Nov 15, 2019
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 3.4% · 89th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-648
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Report tools
Action score
36
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 3.4%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 8.8
- CNA · redhat
- 7.3
- 1.5 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.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; 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 helpAffected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| artifex | ghostscript | cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript |
| fedoraproject | fedora | cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora |
| opensuse | leap | cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- artifex ghostscript9.00 and later · before 9.50
- fedoraproject fedora29
- fedoraproject fedora30
- fedoraproject fedora31
- opensuse leap15.0
- opensuse leap15.1
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.
Ghostscript ghostscript
- all versions of ghostscript 9.x before 9.28affected
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 | from 9.00 · before 9.27-r5 | 9.27-r5 |
| Alpine:v3.11 | ghostscript | from 9.00 · before 9.50-r0 | 9.50-r0 |
| Alpine:v3.9 | ghostscript | from 9.00 · before 9.26-r5 | 9.26-r5 |
| Debian:10 | ghostscript | before 9.27~dfsg-2+deb10u3 | 9.27~dfsg-2+deb10u3 |
| Debian:12 | ghostscript | before 9.50~dfsg-3 | 9.50~dfsg-3 |
| Debian:8 | ghostscript | before 9.26a~dfsg-0+deb8u6 | 9.26a~dfsg-0+deb8u6 |
| Debian:9 | ghostscript | before 9.26a~dfsg-0+deb9u6 | 9.26a~dfsg-0+deb9u6 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.0 | ghostscript | before 9.27-lp150.2.26.1 | 9.27-lp150.2.26.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.0 | ghostscript-mini | before 9.27-lp150.2.26.1 | 9.27-lp150.2.26.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | ghostscript | before 9.27-lp151.3.9.1 | 9.27-lp151.3.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.1 | ghostscript-mini | before 9.27-lp151.3.9.1 | 9.27-lp151.3.9.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript | before 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-cups | before 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-debuginfo | before 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-doc | before 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | ghostscript-gtk | before 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | libgs | before 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | libgs-devel | before 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | ghostscript | before 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | ghostscript-debuginfo | before 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | ghostscript-debugsource | before 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | ghostscript-gtk-debuginfo | before 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | ghostscript-x11-debuginfo | before 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | libgs | before 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 |
+16
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 | 9.27-r5 · Alpine:v3.10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:ghostscript | 9.50~dfsg-3 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:ghostscript | 9.27-lp150.2.26.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:ghostscript-mini | 9.27-lp150.2.26.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-cups | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-debuginfo | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-debugsource | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-doc | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-gtk | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-gtk-debuginfo | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-tools-dvipdf | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::crb | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-x11-debuginfo | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:libgs | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:libgs-debuginfo | 0:9.25-5.el8_1.1 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:libgs-devel | 0:9.25-2.el7_7.3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:ghostscript | 9.27-3.24.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 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
- 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-648 · Incorrect Use of Privileged APIsCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/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.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- jvn.jp/en/jp/JVN52486659/index.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-11/msg00049.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-11/msg00050.html
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/11/15/1
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0222
- bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=701841
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-14869
- git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=485904772c5f
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2Q4E3OTDAJRSUCOBTDQO7Y5UTE2FFMLF/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HC4REO73BEJOJAU7NHFHJECAUAYJUE3H/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/IX55AEDERTDFEZAROKZW64MZRPLINEGI/
- seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Nov/27
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.