CVE-2018-16509
CVE-2018-16509 is a high-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 92% places it in the 100th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
- CVSS v2: 9.3
- EPSS exploit prediction: 92% (100th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Affected product: Artifex Ghostscript
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. Incorrect "restoration of privilege" checking during handling of /invalidaccess exceptions could be used by attackers able to supply crafted PostScript to execute code using the "pipe" instruction.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-16509?
- An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. Incorrect "restoration of privilege" checking during handling of /invalidaccess exceptions could be used by attackers able to supply crafted PostScript to execute code using the "pipe" instruction.
- How severe is CVE-2018-16509?
- CVE-2018-16509 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-2018-16509 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 92% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-16509?
- CVE-2018-16509 primarily affects Artifex 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-2018-16509?
- 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-2018-16509 published?
- CVE-2018-16509 was published on 2018-09-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=5516c614dc33662a2afdc377159f70218e67bde5
- http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=78911a01b67d590b4a91afac2e8417360b934156
- http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=79cccf641486a6595c43f1de1cd7ade696020a31
- http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=520bb0ea7519aa3e79db78aaf0589dae02103764
- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2018/q3/142
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105122
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:2918
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3760
- https://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=699654
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00015.html
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201811-12
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3768-1/
- https://www.artifex.com/news/ghostscript-security-resolved/
- https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4294
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45369/
Affected products (14)
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- 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:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:artifex:gpl_ghostscript:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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