CVE-2018-17961: High severity Artifex Ghostscript vulnerability

Published Oct 9, 2018
·
Updated

Artifex Ghostscript 9.25 and earlier allows attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism via vectors involving errorhandler setup. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2018-17183.

Other sources

Artifex Ghostscript 9.25 and earlier allows attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism via vectors involving errorhandler setup. This issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2018-17183.

References: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1682&desc=2 https://bugs.ghostscript.com/showbug.cgi?id=699816 http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/10/09/4

Upstream Patch: http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commitdiff;h=a54c9e61e7d0 http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commitdiff;h=a5a9bf8c6a63 http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commitdiff;h=a6807394bd94

Red Hat

Affected Software

16 affected componentsFixes available
debian/ghostscript<=9.20~dfsg-3.2, <=9.25~dfsg-2
redhat/ghostscript<9.26
9.26
Artifex Ghostscript<9.25
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.10
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

Oct 15, 2018
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:00 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:29 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Feb 20, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·06:02 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·06:03 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via Debian·06:03 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2018-17961?

CVE-2018-17961 is a vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript 9.25 and earlier that allows attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism.

2

What is the severity of CVE-2018-17961?

The severity of CVE-2018-17961 is high, with a CVSS score of 8.6.

3

Which software versions are affected by CVE-2018-17961?

Artifex Ghostscript versions up to and including 9.25 are affected by CVE-2018-17961.

4

How can I fix CVE-2018-17961?

To fix CVE-2018-17961, update Artifex Ghostscript to version 9.26 or later.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2018-17961?

You can find more information about CVE-2018-17961 at the following references: [link 1](https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45573/), [link 2](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/10/09/4), [link 3](https://bugs.chromium.org/p/project-zero/issues/detail?id=1682).

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