CVE-2018-16511: Incorrect Type Cast

Published Aug 23, 2018
·
Updated

An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. A type confusion in "ztype" could be used by remote attackers able to supply crafted PostScript to crash the interpreter or possibly have unspecified other impact.

Other sources

It was discovered that the ghostscript type checker did not properly validate certain types. A specially crafted PostScript document could exploit this to crash ghostscript or, possibly, execute arbitrary code in the context of the ghostscript process.

Patch: http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commit;h=0edd3d6c

Red Hat

Affected Software

14 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/ghostscript<9.24
9.24
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Artifex Ghostscript<9.24
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Eus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation=7.0
debian/ghostscript
9.53.3~dfsg-7+deb11u79.53.3~dfsg-7+deb11u1110.0.0~dfsg-11+deb12u810.05.1~dfsg-1+deb13u110.06.0~dfsg-3

Event History

Sep 5, 2018
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:00 AM
Description
Feb 20, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·04:13 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Debian·04:13 PM
DescriptionAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·04:13 PM
Description

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2018-16511?

CVE-2018-16511 is a vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript before version 9.24 that allows remote attackers to crash the interpreter or have other unspecified impacts by exploiting a type confusion in "ztype".

2

How severe is CVE-2018-16511?

CVE-2018-16511 has a severity rating of 7.8 (high).

3

Which software versions are affected by CVE-2018-16511?

Artifex Ghostscript versions before 9.24 are affected by CVE-2018-16511.

4

How can I fix CVE-2018-16511?

To fix CVE-2018-16511, update Artifex Ghostscript to version 9.24 or later.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2018-16511?

You can find more information about CVE-2018-16511 in the references provided: [Reference 1](http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commit;h=0edd3d6c634a577db261615a9dc2719bca7f6e01), [Reference 2](http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2018/q3/182), [Reference 3](https://www.artifex.com/news/ghostscript-security-resolved/).

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203