# CVE-2024-29511: Path traversal in n/a

> Attackers can read arbitrary files and write error messages via directory traversal in Ghostscript when Tesseract OCR is enabled.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-29511, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-29511, GHSA-g9m4-vfq7-w439, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2024-29511, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-29511

## What is CVE-2024-29511?

CVE-2024-29511 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 3 Jul 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Artifex Ghostscript before 10.03.1, when Tesseract is used for OCR, has a directory traversal issue that allows arbitrary file reading (and writing of error messages to arbitrary files) via OCRLanguage. For example, exploitation can use debug_file /tmp/out and user_patterns_file /etc/passwd.

Weakness: CWE-489 (Active Debug Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-29511?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Artifex Ghostscript.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-29511?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2024-29511 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-29511 exists.

## 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-2024-29511 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-29511 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript, published on 3 Jul 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-29511 exists.

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-2024-29511/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-29511/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-29511
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-29511
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-29511

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-29511/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.