CVE-2023-28879: In Artifex Ghostscript through 10.01.0, there is a buffer overflow leading to potential corruption of data internal to the PostScript interp
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Plan (action score 41/100)
- 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: 6.3% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 93.5% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
- Fixed version: ghostscript (AlmaLinux:8) 9.27-11.el8; ghostscript-doc (AlmaLinux:8) 9.27-11.el8; ghostscript-tools-dvipdf (AlmaLinux:8) 9.27-11.el8.
Add it to your regular patch cycle. Upgrade to ghostscript (AlmaLinux:8) 9.27-11.el8; ghostscript-doc (AlmaLinux:8) 9.27-11.el8; ghostscript-tools-dvipdf (AlmaLinux:8) 9.27-11.el8 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
In Artifex Ghostscript through 10.01.0, there is a buffer overflow leading to potential corruption of data internal to the PostScript interpreter, in base/sbcp.c. This affects BCPEncode, BCPDecode, TBCPEncode, and TBCPDecode. If the write buffer is filled to one byte less than full, and one then tries to write an escaped character, two bytes are written.
- Published
- Mar 31, 2023
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 6.3% · 93th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-787
Report tools
Action score
41
Plan
Add it to your regular patch cycle.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 2 / 30 · 6.3%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- yes
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
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.
Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens
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 helpAffected 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.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| artifex | ghostscript | cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- artifex ghostscriptbefore 10.01.0
- debian debian linux10.0
- debian debian linux11.0
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlmaLinux:8 | ghostscript | before 9.27-11.el8 | 9.27-11.el8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | ghostscript-doc | before 9.27-11.el8 | 9.27-11.el8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | ghostscript-tools-dvipdf | before 9.27-11.el8 | 9.27-11.el8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | ghostscript-tools-fonts | before 9.27-11.el8 | 9.27-11.el8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | ghostscript-tools-printing | before 9.27-11.el8 | 9.27-11.el8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | ghostscript-x11 | before 9.27-11.el8 | 9.27-11.el8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | libgs | before 9.27-11.el8 | 9.27-11.el8 |
| AlmaLinux:8 | libgs-devel | before 9.27-11.el8 | 9.27-11.el8 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | ghostscript | before 9.54.0-13.el9 | 9.54.0-13.el9 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | ghostscript-doc | before 9.54.0-13.el9 | 9.54.0-13.el9 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | ghostscript-tools-dvipdf | before 9.54.0-13.el9 | 9.54.0-13.el9 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | ghostscript-tools-fonts | before 9.54.0-13.el9 | 9.54.0-13.el9 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | ghostscript-tools-printing | before 9.54.0-13.el9 | 9.54.0-13.el9 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | ghostscript-x11 | before 9.54.0-13.el9 | 9.54.0-13.el9 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | libgs | before 9.54.0-13.el9 | 9.54.0-13.el9 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | libgs-devel | before 9.54.0-13.el9 | 9.54.0-13.el9 |
| Alpine:v3.14 | ghostscript | before 9.54.0-r2 | 9.54.0-r2 |
| Alpine:v3.15 | ghostscript | before 9.55.0-r1 | 9.55.0-r1 |
| Alpine:v3.16 | ghostscript | before 9.56.1-r1 | 9.56.1-r1 |
| Alpine:v3.17 | ghostscript | before 10.0.0-r1 | 10.0.0-r1 |
| Debian:10 | ghostscript | before 9.27~dfsg-2+deb10u7 | 9.27~dfsg-2+deb10u7 |
| Debian:11 | ghostscript | before 9.53.3~dfsg-7+deb11u4 | 9.53.3~dfsg-7+deb11u4 |
| Debian:12 | ghostscript | before 10.0.0~dfsg-11 | 10.0.0~dfsg-11 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.4 | ghostscript | before 9.52-150000.164.1 | 9.52-150000.164.1 |
+29
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-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-2022-2085Jun 16, 2022 · A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability was found in Ghostscript, which occurs when it tries to render a large number of bits in memory.22Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2020-27792Aug 19, 2022 · Ghostscript: heap buffer over write vulnerability in ghostscript's lp8000_print_page() in gdevlp8k.c28Monitor
- Later →CVE-2023-36664Jun 25, 2023 · Artifex Ghostscript before 10.01.2 mishandles permission validation for pipe devices (with the %pipe% prefix or the | pipe character prefix)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 / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| almalinux:ghostscript | 9.54.0-13.el9 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:ghostscript-doc | 9.54.0-13.el9 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:ghostscript-tools-dvipdf | 9.54.0-13.el9 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:ghostscript-tools-fonts | 9.54.0-13.el9 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:ghostscript-tools-printing | 9.54.0-13.el9 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:ghostscript-x11 | 9.54.0-13.el9 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:libgs | 9.54.0-13.el9 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| almalinux:libgs-devel | 9.54.0-13.el9 · AlmaLinux:9 | Package registry (OSV) |
| alpine:ghostscript | 9.54.0-r2 · Alpine:v3.14 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:ghostscript | 10.0.0~dfsg-11 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:ghostscript | 9.52-150000.164.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.4 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-debuginfo | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-debugsource | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-doc | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-gtk-debuginfo | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-tools-dvipdf | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-tools-fonts | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-tools-printing | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-x11 | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:ghostscript-x11-debuginfo | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:libgs | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:libgs-debuginfo | 0:9.54.0-13.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:ghostscript | 9.52-150000.164.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP4 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:ghostscript | 9.52-23.51.1 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 9 | 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.
- No user action is required.
- 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
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds WriteCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (8 more)Show less
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/04/12/4
- ghostscript.readthedocs.io/en/latest/News.html
- git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=37ed5022cecd584de868933b5b60da2e995b3179
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/04/msg00003.html
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CI6UCKM3XMK7PYNIRGAVDJ5VKN6XYZOE/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DHJX62KSRIOBZA6FKONMJP7MEFY7LTH2/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MADLP3GWJFLLFVNZGEDNPMDQR6CCXAHN/
- www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5383
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.