# CVE-2019-3835: Security feature bypass in ghostscript

> Attackers can bypass Ghostscript's -dSAFER sandbox restrictions via a crafted PostScript file to access the file system.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Mar 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2019-3835, DEBIAN-CVE-2019-3835, GHSA-22vx-j9g4-5q8f, UBUNTU-CVE-2019-3835

## What is CVE-2019-3835?

CVE-2019-3835 is a high-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 25 Mar 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

It was found that the superexec operator was available in the internal dictionary in ghostscript before 9.27. A specially crafted PostScript file could use this flaw in order to, for example, have access to the file system outside of the constrains imposed by -dSAFER.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-648 (Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-3835?

It affects 11 products.


Products: Artifex Ghostscript, Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Opensuse Leap, Redhat Ansible Tower, 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-2019-3835?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2019-3835 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-3835 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-2019-3835 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-3835 is a high-severity vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 25 Mar 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-3835 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-2019-3835/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3835/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-3835
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-3835
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-3835

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3835/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.