CVE-2018-10194
CVE-2018-10194 is a high-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-119.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
- CVSS v2: 6.8
- EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (77th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-119
- Affected product: Artifex Ghostscript
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
The set_text_distance function in devices/vector/gdevpdts.c in the pdfwrite component in Artifex Ghostscript through 9.22 does not prevent overflows in text-positioning calculation, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted PDF document.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-10194?
- The set_text_distance function in devices/vector/gdevpdts.c in the pdfwrite component in Artifex Ghostscript through 9.22 does not prevent overflows in text-positioning calculation, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted PDF document.
- How severe is CVE-2018-10194?
- CVE-2018-10194 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2018-10194 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-10194?
- CVE-2018-10194 primarily affects Artifex Ghostscript. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-10194?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- When was CVE-2018-10194 published?
- CVE-2018-10194 was published on 2018-04-18 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=39b1e54b2968620723bf32e96764c88797714879
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040729
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:2918
- https://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=699255
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/04/msg00028.html
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201811-12
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3636-1/
Affected products (13)
- cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:17.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
More vulnerabilities in Artifex Ghostscript
- CVE-2021-3781 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): A trivial sandbox (enabled with the `-dSAFER` option) escape flaw was found in the ghostscript interpreter by injecting…
- CVE-2025-27837 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 10.05.0. Access to arbitrary files can occur through a truncated…
- CVE-2025-27836 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 10.05.0. The BJ10V device has a Print buffer overflow in…
- CVE-2025-27832 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 10.05.0. The NPDL device has a Compression buffer overflow for…
- CVE-2025-27831 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 10.05.0. The DOCXWRITE TXTWRITE device has a text buffer overflow…
- CVE-2020-36773 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Artifex Ghostscript before 9.53.0 has an out-of-bounds write and use-after-free in devices/vector/gdevtxtw.c (for…
All CVEs affecting Artifex Ghostscript →
Other CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) vulnerabilities
- CVE-2026-2778 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to incorrect boundary conditions in the DOM: Core & HTML component. This vulnerability was fixed in…
- CVE-2026-2776 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to incorrect boundary conditions in the Telemetry component in External Software. This vulnerability…
- CVE-2025-1866 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer vulnerability in warmcat libwebsockets allows…
- CVE-2022-27625 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability regarding improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer is found in the…
- CVE-2022-27624 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability regarding improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer is found in the…
- CVE-2020-11896 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Treck TCP/IP stack before 6.0.1.66 allows Remote Code Execution, related to IPv4 tunneling.