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TI-2018-12073 Aliases CVE-2018-16863GHSA-83g5-f7jm-c8fc

OS command injection in Artifex ghostscript

Priority LOW 37CWE-184Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-78.

Summary

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.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.01249 69th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Red Hat: 1 advisory

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
Artifexghostscript9.07—No fix listedCNA
  • ghostscript VendorArtifex Affected 9.07 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 7

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:9.07:*:*:*:*:*:*:*9.07VulnerableArtifex
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0VulnerableRed Hat
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0VulnerableRed Hat
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*7.6VulnerableRed Hat
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*7.6VulnerableRed Hat
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*7.6VulnerableRed Hat
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0VulnerableRed Hat
  • cpe:2.3:a:artifex:ghostscript:9.07:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 9.07 Vulnerable ·Artifex
  • cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
  • cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
  • cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.6 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
  • cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.6 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
  • cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.6 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
  • cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat

Remediation

Red Hat 1 advisory

  • RHSA-2018:3761 Released 2018-12-03 · Red Hat rating Important
    ghostscript security and bug fix update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) ghostscript-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-cups-9.07-31.el7_6.3
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) ghostscript-devel-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-doc-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-gtk-9.07-31.el7_6.3
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) ghostscript-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-cups-9.07-31.el7_6.3
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) ghostscript-devel-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-doc-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-gtk-9.07-31.el7_6.3
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) ghostscript-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-9.07-31.el7_6.3.ppc, ghostscript-cups-9.07-31.el7_6.3
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) ghostscript-devel-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-devel-9.07-31.el7_6.3.ppc, ghostscript-doc-9.07-31.el7_6.3 +1
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) ghostscript-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-cups-9.07-31.el7_6.3
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) ghostscript-devel-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-doc-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-gtk-9.07-31.el7_6.3
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server (v. 7) ghostscript-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-cups-9.07-31.el7_6.3
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server Optional (v. 7) ghostscript-devel-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-doc-9.07-31.el7_6.3, ghostscript-gtk-9.07-31.el7_6.3

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM and IBM Power LE (POWER9) Server Optional (v. 7)Fixed RHSA-2018:3761

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2018-16863
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-83g5-f7jm-c8fc

References

Patch 1

Advisory 1

Other 4

  • TI-2017-05861 Artifex Ghostscript through 2017-04-26 allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
  • TI-2021-02712 Improper input validation in ghostscript CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.9
  • TI-2023-13382 In Artifex Ghostscript through 10.01.0, there is a buffer overflow leading to potential… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2018-11841 An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. CVSS 3.0HIGH 7.8
  • TI-2024-19474 Artifex Ghostscript before 10.03.0 has a stack-based buffer overflow in the… CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2020-14200 Buffer Overflow vulnerability in clj_media_size function in devices/gdevclj.c in Artifex… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
See all 128 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences