How severe is CVE-2018-16863?

CVE-2018-16863 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability low.

Is CVE-2018-16863 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (66th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16863?

CVE-2018-16863 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16863?

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-2018-16863 published?

CVE-2018-16863 was published on 2018-12-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16863

CVE-2018-16863 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3. 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-184.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.3)
CVSS v2: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (66th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-184
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop
Published: 2018-12-03
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

It was found that RHSA-2018:2918 did not fully fix CVE-2018-16509. An attacker could possibly exploit another variant of the flaw and bypass the -dSAFER protection to, for example, execute arbitrary shell commands via a specially crafted PostScript document. This only affects ghostscript 9.07 as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16863?: It was found that RHSA-2018:2918 did not fully fix CVE-2018-16509. An attacker could possibly exploit another variant of the flaw and bypass the -dSAFER protection to, for example, execute arbitrary shell commands via a specially crafted PostScript document. This only affects ghostscript 9.07 as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.
How severe is CVE-2018-16863?: CVE-2018-16863 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability low.
Is CVE-2018-16863 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (66th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16863?: CVE-2018-16863 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16863?: 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-2018-16863 published?: CVE-2018-16863 was published on 2018-12-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:9.07:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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