How severe is CVE-2021-3781?

CVE-2021-3781 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.9, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-3781 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 84% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-3781?

CVE-2021-3781 primarily affects Artifex Ghostscript. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-3781?

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-2021-3781 published?

CVE-2021-3781 was published on 2022-02-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-3781

CVE-2021-3781 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.9. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 84% places it in the 100th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-78.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.9)
CVSS v2: 9.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 84% (100th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-78
Affected product: Artifex Ghostscript
Published: 2022-02-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A trivial sandbox (enabled with the `-dSAFER` option) escape flaw was found in the ghostscript interpreter by injecting a specially crafted pipe command. This flaw allows a specially crafted document to execute arbitrary commands on the system in the context of the ghostscript interpreter. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality, integrity, as well as system availability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-3781?: A trivial sandbox (enabled with the `-dSAFER` option) escape flaw was found in the ghostscript interpreter by injecting a specially crafted pipe command. This flaw allows a specially crafted document to execute arbitrary commands on the system in the context of the ghostscript interpreter. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality, integrity, as well as system availability.
How severe is CVE-2021-3781?: CVE-2021-3781 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.9, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-3781 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 84% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-3781?: CVE-2021-3781 primarily affects Artifex Ghostscript. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-3781?: 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-2021-3781 published?: CVE-2021-3781 was published on 2022-02-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:9.50:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:9.52:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:9.53.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:9.54.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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