CVE-2018-16540
7.8 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2018-16540 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting artifex ghostscript. It was published on September 5, 2018 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
In Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24, attackers able to supply crafted PostScript files to the builtin PDF14 converter could use a use-after-free in copydevice handling to crash the interpreter or possibly have unspecified other impact.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from artifex. Update ghostscript to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| artifex | ghostscript | >= 0, < 9.24 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2018-16540?
CVE-2018-16540 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting artifex ghostscript. It was published on September 5, 2018 and has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2018-16540?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2018-16540?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from artifex. Update ghostscript to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2018-16540?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2018-16540 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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