# CVE-2021-3781: Command injection in ghostscript > Attackers can execute arbitrary commands via crafted documents in Ghostscript when the safer sandbox mode is enabled. - **Severity:** Critical 9.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Any signed-in user - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 16 Feb 2022 - **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024 - **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2021-3781, DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3781, DSA-4972-1, GHSA-gf7q-r6ff-xwg6, MGASA-2021-0436, OESA-2022-1560, SUSE-SU-2021:3044-1, SUSE-SU-2021:3180-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-3781, USN-5075-1, openSUSE-SU-2021:1273-1, openSUSE-SU-2021:3044-1 ## What is CVE-2021-3781? CVE-2021-3781 is a critical command injection vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 16 Feb 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description A trivial sandbox (enabled with the `-dSAFER` option) escape flaw was found in the ghostscript interpreter by injecting a specially crafted pipe command. This flaw allows a specially crafted document to execute arbitrary commands on the system in the context of the ghostscript interpreter. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality, integrity, as well as system availability. Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-3781? It affects 2 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 6 | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Enterprise Storage 6 | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | All versions | 9.52-23.42.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | All versions | 0.2.7-12.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-ESPOS | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-ESPOS | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-LTSS | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2 | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP2 | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP3 | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL | All versions | 9.52-23.42.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL | All versions | 0.2.7-12.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-BCL | All versions | 9.52-23.42.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-BCL | All versions | 0.2.7-12.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 9.52-23.42.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.7-12.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 9.52-23.42.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.7-12.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 9.52-23.42.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.2.7-12.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-BCL | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-BCL | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15-LTSS | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15-LTSS | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3 | All versions | 9.52-23.42.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3 | All versions | 0.2.7-12.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4 | All versions | 9.52-23.42.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4 | All versions | 0.2.7-12.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 9.52-23.42.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 0.2.7-12.12.1 | | `ghostscript` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 | All versions | 9.52-155.1 | | `libspectre` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 | All versions | 0.2.8-3.12.1 | Products: Artifex Ghostscript, Fedoraproject Fedora. ## How do I fix CVE-2021-3781? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2021-3781 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-3781 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-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) - [CVE-2025-27837](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-27837/): An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 10.05.0. (critical 9.8) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2021-3781 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2021-3781 is a critical command injection vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 16 Feb 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-3781 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-2021-3781/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3781/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-3781 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3781 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-3781 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3781/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.