How severe is CVE-2009-0196?

CVE-2009-0196 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2009-0196 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2009-0196?

CVE-2009-0196 primarily affects Ghostscript. In total, 14 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-0196?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2009-0196 published?

CVE-2009-0196 was published on 2009-04-16 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2009-0196

CVE-2009-0196 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Ghostscript with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 9.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 7% (94th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Ghostscript
Published: 2009-04-16
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the big2_decode_symbol_dict function (jbig2_symbol_dict.c) in the JBIG2 decoding library (jbig2dec) in Ghostscript 8.64, and probably earlier versions, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PDF file with a JBIG2 symbol dictionary segment with a large run length value.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-0196?: Heap-based buffer overflow in the big2_decode_symbol_dict function (jbig2_symbol_dict.c) in the JBIG2 decoding library (jbig2dec) in Ghostscript 8.64, and probably earlier versions, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PDF file with a JBIG2 symbol dictionary segment with a large run length value.
How severe is CVE-2009-0196?: CVE-2009-0196 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2009-0196 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2009-0196?: CVE-2009-0196 primarily affects Ghostscript. In total, 14 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2009-0196?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2009-0196 published?: CVE-2009-0196 was published on 2009-04-16 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (14)

cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:5.50:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:7.07:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.15.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.54:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.56:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.57:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.60:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.61:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.62:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ghostscript:ghostscript:8.63:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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CVE-2012-4405 — Medium (CVSS 6.8): Multiple integer underflows in the icmLut_allocate function in International Color Consortium (ICC) Format library…

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