How severe is CVE-2016-7979?

CVE-2016-7979 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-7979 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 6% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-7979?

CVE-2016-7979 affects Artifex Ghostscript. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-7979?

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-2016-7979 published?

CVE-2016-7979 was published on 2017-05-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-7979

CVE-2016-7979 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-704.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 6% (93rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-704
Affected product: Artifex Ghostscript
Published: 2017-05-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Ghostscript before 9.21 might allow remote attackers to bypass the SAFER mode protection mechanism and consequently execute arbitrary code by leveraging type confusion in .initialize_dsc_parser.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-7979?: Ghostscript before 9.21 might allow remote attackers to bypass the SAFER mode protection mechanism and consequently execute arbitrary code by leveraging type confusion in .initialize_dsc_parser.
How severe is CVE-2016-7979?: CVE-2016-7979 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-7979 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 6% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-7979?: CVE-2016-7979 affects Artifex Ghostscript. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-7979?: 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-2016-7979 published?: CVE-2016-7979 was published on 2017-05-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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