CVE-2020-16303: Use After Free

Published Aug 13, 2020
·
Updated

A use-after-free vulnerability in xpsfinishimagepath() in devices/vector/gdevxps.c of Artifex Software GhostScript v9.50 allows a remote attacker to escalate privileges via a crafted PDF file. This is fixed in v9.51.

Affected Software

8 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/ghostscript<9.51
9.51
Artifex Ghostscript=9.50
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=20.04
debian/ghostscript
9.53.3~dfsg-7+deb11u79.53.3~dfsg-7+deb11u1110.0.0~dfsg-11+deb12u810.05.1~dfsg-1+deb13u110.07.0~dfsg-2

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/ghostscript to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 9.53.3~dfsg-7+deb11u7Fixed in 9.53.3~dfsg-7+deb11u11Fixed in 10.0.0~dfsg-11+deb12u8Fixed in 10.05.1~dfsg-1+deb13u1Fixed in 10.07.0~dfsg-2
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/ghostscript to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 9.51
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade Artifex Software GhostScript to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in v9.51

Event History

Aug 13, 2020
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:09 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:09 AM
Description
Aug 19, 2020
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·03:34 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Feb 23, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·08:07 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·08:08 PM
Description
Mar 26, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·08:31 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2020-16303?

CVE-2020-16303 is a use-after-free vulnerability in xps_finish_image_path() in devices/vector/gdevxps.c of Artifex Software GhostScript v9.50.

2

How does CVE-2020-16303 allow privilege escalation?

CVE-2020-16303 allows a remote attacker to escalate privileges by exploiting the use-after-free vulnerability via a crafted PDF file.

3

What is the severity of CVE-2020-16303?

CVE-2020-16303 has a severity score of 7.8 (high).

4

How can I fix CVE-2020-16303 on Red Hat systems?

To fix CVE-2020-16303 on Red Hat systems, update GhostScript to version 9.51 or newer.

5

How can I fix CVE-2020-16303 on Ubuntu systems?

To fix CVE-2020-16303 on Ubuntu systems, update GhostScript to version 9.51 or newer.

6

How can I fix CVE-2020-16303 on Debian systems?

To fix CVE-2020-16303 on Debian systems, update GhostScript to a version with the fix (refer to the official Debian advisory).

Contact

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