{"answers":{"affected":"It affects 8 products.","exploited":"It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-16509 exists.","fix":"Upgrade to a fixed version.","what":"CVE-2018-16509 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 5 Sep 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."},"fix_prompt":"Check this codebase for CVE-2018-16509 and fix it if it is affected.\n\nWhat it is: CVE-2018-16509 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 5 Sep 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.\nExploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-16509 exists.\n\nAffected product: Artifex Ghostscript. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.\n\nTask:\n1. 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.\n2. 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.\n3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.\n4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.\n5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.\n\nReference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16509/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16509/index.md)","id":"CVE-2018-16509","markdown":"https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16509/index.md","name":"CVE-2018-16509","record":{"aliases":["DEBIAN-CVE-2018-16509","GHSA-98rm-3v6h-p8j6","RHSA-2018:3760","UBUNTU-CVE-2018-16509"],"analysis":{"component_type":"library","fix_type":"upgrade","impacts":["code_execution"],"network_reachable":"adjacent_or_local","non_default_config":false,"product_category":"Ghostscript PostScript interpreter","requires_auth":"none","summary":"Attackers can execute arbitrary code via crafted PostScript files due to improper privilege restoration checks in Ghostscript.","user_interaction":"required","vuln_class":"code_injection"},"analysis_generated_by":"qwen3.8-flash-next","assigner":"mitre","cpe":[{"product":"ghostscript","vendor":"artifex"},{"product":"gpl_ghostscript","vendor":"artifex"},{"product":"ubuntu_linux","vendor":"canonical"},{"product":"debian_linux","vendor":"debian"},{"product":"enterprise_linux_desktop","vendor":"redhat"},{"product":"enterprise_linux_server","vendor":"redhat"},{"product":"enterprise_linux_server_eus","vendor":"redhat"},{"product":"enterprise_linux_workstation","vendor":"redhat"}],"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"high","source":"nvd","vector":"CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","version":"3.0"},"cwes":[],"description":"An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. Incorrect \"restoration of privilege\" checking during handling of /invalidaccess exceptions could be used by attackers able to supply crafted PostScript to execute code using the \"pipe\" instruction.","ecosystems":["Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client","Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode","Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server","Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation"],"exploits":{"exploitdb":2,"first_seen":"2018-08-21","github_poc":5,"max_poc_stars":62,"metasploit":1,"nuclei":0,"refs":[{"date":"2018-10-15T07:44:43Z","kind":"github_poc","ref":"https://github.com/farisv/PIL-RCE-Ghostscript-CVE-2018-16509","stars":62,"title":"PoC + Docker Environment for Python PIL/Pillow Remote Shell Command Execution via Ghostscript CVE-2018-16509"},{"date":"2018-11-17T12:26:38Z","kind":"github_poc","ref":"https://github.com/knqyf263/CVE-2018-16509","stars":3,"title":"CVE-2018-16509 (Ghostscript contains multiple -dSAFER sandbox bypass vulnerabilities)"},{"date":"2019-08-04T10:09:31Z","kind":"github_poc","ref":"https://github.com/rhpco/CVE-2018-16509","stars":1,"title":"CVE-2018-16509 Docker Playground - Ghostscript command execution"},{"date":"2018-08-21","kind":"metasploit","ref":"exploit/multi/fileformat/ghostscript_failed_restore","stars":null,"title":"Ghostscript Failed Restore Command Execution"},{"date":"2018-09-10","kind":"exploitdb","ref":"45369","stars":null,"title":"Ghostscript - Failed Restore Command Execution (Metasploit)"},{"date":"2018-09-10","kind":"exploitdb","ref":"45369","stars":null,"title":"Ghostscript - Failed Restore Command Execution (Metasploit)"},{"date":"2019-01-11T22:19:46Z","kind":"github_poc","ref":"https://github.com/cved-sources/cve-2018-16509","stars":0,"title":"cve-2018-16509"},{"date":"2026-10-08T20:01:28Z","kind":"github_poc","ref":"https://github.com/CyberCTF/vulhub-ghostscript-cve-2018-16509","stars":0,"title":"Vulhub ghostscript/CVE-2018-16509: Ghostscript -dSAFER Sandbox Bypass (CVE-2018-16509), run with Isoloom"}],"tier":"weaponised"},"has_fix":true,"headline":"Code injection in n/a","id":"CVE-2018-16509","indexable":true,"kev":null,"kind":"cve","links":{"ecosystem":null,"product":"artifex:ghostscript","products":["artifex:ghostscript","canonical:ubuntu_linux","debian:debian_linux","redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop","redhat:enterprise_linux_server","redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus","redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation"],"type":"code_injection","year":"2018"},"n_packages":20,"n_references":15,"next":{"headline":"Memory corruption in n/a","id":"CVE-2018-16510"},"packages":[{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-debuginfo","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-debuginfo","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-devel","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-devel","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-doc","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-doc","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-gtk","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-gtk","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-debuginfo","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-debuginfo","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-devel","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-devel","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-doc","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-doc","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-gtk","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-gtk","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-debuginfo","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-debuginfo","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-devel","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-devel","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-doc","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-doc","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-gtk","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-gtk","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-debuginfo","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-debuginfo","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-devel","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-devel","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-doc","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-doc","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"},{"ecosystem":"Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation","fixed":["0:8.70-24.el6_10.2"],"introduced":["0"],"last_affected":[],"package":"ghostscript-gtk","purl":"pkg:rpm/redhat/ghostscript-gtk","source":"RHSA-2018:3760"}],"prev":{"headline":"Weak cryptography in Versa VOS","id":"CVE-2018-16499"},"products":["n/a"],"published":"2018-09-05","related":[{"cvss_score":7.8,"headline":"Artifex Ghostscript Type Confusion","id":"CVE-2017-8291","kev_date_added":"2022-05-24","published":"2017-04-27"},{"cvss_score":9.9,"headline":"Command injection in ghostscript","id":"CVE-2021-3781","kev_date_added":null,"published":"2022-02-16"},{"cvss_score":9.8,"headline":"Memory corruption in n/a","id":"CVE-2025-27831","kev_date_added":null,"published":"2025-03-25"},{"cvss_score":9.8,"headline":"Memory corruption in n/a","id":"CVE-2025-27832","kev_date_added":null,"published":"2025-03-25"},{"cvss_score":9.8,"headline":"Memory corruption in n/a","id":"CVE-2025-27836","kev_date_added":null,"published":"2025-03-25"},{"cvss_score":9.8,"headline":"An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 10.05.0.","id":"CVE-2025-27837","kev_date_added":null,"published":"2025-03-25"},{"cvss_score":9.8,"headline":"Use after free in n/a","id":"CVE-2020-36773","kev_date_added":null,"published":"2024-02-04"}],"sources":[{"class":"attribution","licence":"CVE Terms of Use (MITRE)","name":"CVE List","prefix":"CVE"},{"class":"attribution","licence":"CC BY 4.0","name":"Red Hat","prefix":"RHSA"},{"class":"attribution","licence":"US public information, NVD API terms","name":"NVD"},{"class":"attribution","licence":"FIRST CVSS licence","name":"CVSS (FIRST)"},{"class":"attribution","licence":"BSD-3-Clause","name":"Metasploit"},{"class":"attribution","licence":"GPL-2.0-or-later","name":"Exploit-DB"},{"class":"open","licence":"CC0","name":"PoC-in-GitHub"}],"ssvc":{"automatable":null,"exploitation":null,"technical_impact":null},"state":"PUBLISHED","updated":"2024-08-05","vendors":["n/a"]},"summary":"Attackers can execute arbitrary code via crafted PostScript files due to improper privilege restoration checks in Ghostscript.","url":"https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-16509/"}