How severe is CVE-2018-19478?

CVE-2018-19478 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-19478 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-2018-19478?

CVE-2018-19478 primarily affects Artifex Ghostscript. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-19478?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2018-19478 published?

CVE-2018-19478 was published on 2019-01-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-19478

CVE-2018-19478 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (77th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Artifex Ghostscript
Published: 2019-01-02
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Artifex Ghostscript before 9.26, a carefully crafted PDF file can trigger an extremely long running computation when parsing the file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-19478?: In Artifex Ghostscript before 9.26, a carefully crafted PDF file can trigger an extremely long running computation when parsing the file.
How severe is CVE-2018-19478?: CVE-2018-19478 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-19478 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-2018-19478?: CVE-2018-19478 primarily affects Artifex Ghostscript. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-19478?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-19478 published?: CVE-2018-19478 was published on 2019-01-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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