# CVE-2018-10194: Integer overflow in n/a

> Remote attackers can cause a denial of service via crafted PDF documents due to integer overflows in Ghostscript's pdfwrite component.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Apr 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2018-10194, DEBIAN-CVE-2018-10194, DLA-1363-1, GHSA-x8vv-69hx-8rmh, MGASA-2018-0219, SUSE-SU-2018:1332-1, SUSE-SU-2018:1884-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2018-10194

## What is CVE-2018-10194?

CVE-2018-10194 is a high-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 18 Apr 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The set_text_distance function in devices/vector/gdevpdts.c in the pdfwrite component in Artifex Ghostscript through 9.22 does not prevent overflows in text-positioning calculation, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted PDF document.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-10194?

It affects 9 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | All versions | 9.15-23.10.2 |
| `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | All versions | 9.23-3.3.1 |
| `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | All versions | 9.15-23.10.2 |
| `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3 | All versions | 9.15-23.10.2 |
| `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP3 | All versions | 9.15-23.10.2 |

Products: Artifex Ghostscript, Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Eus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-10194?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2018-10194 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-10194 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Artifex Ghostscript

- [CVE-2017-8291](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-8291/): Artifex Ghostscript Type Confusion (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-3781](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3781/): Command injection in ghostscript (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2025-27831](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-27831/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-27832](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-27832/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-27836](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-27836/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-10194 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-10194 is a high-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 18 Apr 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-10194 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Artifex Ghostscript. 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-2018-10194/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-10194/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-10194
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-10194
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-10194

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-10194/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.