# CVE-2005-2536: Command injection in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary commands via malicious PostScript files due to improper Ghostscript safety options in pstotext.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Aug 2005
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DSA-792-1, GHSA-rgwq-9vqf-cvgq

## What is CVE-2005-2536?

CVE-2005-2536 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 10 Aug 2005. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

pstotext before 1.8g does not properly use the "-dSAFER" option when calling Ghostscript to extract plain text from PostScript and PDF files, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a malicious PostScript file.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2005-2536?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Pstotext Pstotext.

## How do I fix CVE-2005-2536?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2005-2536 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2005-2536 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2006-5869](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-5869/): Command injection in n/a (medium 5.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2005-2536 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2005-2536 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 10 Aug 2005. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2005-2536 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-2536/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-2536/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2005-2536
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2005-2536
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2005-2536

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-2536/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.