# CVE-2023-4042: Ghostscript: incomplete fix for cve-2020-16305

> Ghostscript in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 contains an incomplete fix for a memory corruption flaw, potentially allowing code execution or denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/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:** 23 Aug 2023
- **Updated:** 21 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jgj3-64jr-4g3x

## What is CVE-2023-4042?

CVE-2023-4042 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 23 Aug 2023. 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

A flaw was found in ghostscript. The fix for CVE-2020-16305 in ghostscript was not included in RHSA-2021:1852-06 advisory as it was claimed to be. This issue only affects the ghostscript package as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-4042?

It affects 9 products.


Products: Artifex Ghostscript, Redhat Codeready Linux Builder, Redhat Codeready Linux Builder for Arm64, Redhat Codeready Linux Builder for Ibm Z Systems, Redhat Codeready Linux Builder for Power Little Endian, Redhat Enterprise Linux, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Arm 64, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Ibm Z Systems, Redhat Enterprise Linux for Power Little Endian.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-4042?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-4042 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-4042 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-2023-4042 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-4042 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 23 Aug 2023. 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-2023-4042 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-2023-4042/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4042/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4042
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4042
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-4042

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4042/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.