CVE-2016-7976
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code...
CVE-2016-7976 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in Artifex Ghostscript, published October 6, 2016. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 23.5%, the 97th percentile. Fixed in ghostscript 9.19~dfsg-3.1.
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
8.8
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
- Record
CVE-2016-7976- CVSS 3.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 6.8 Medium
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
- Record
CVE-2016-7976- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2016-8824 No score
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
- Record
EUVD-2016-8824- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-9v96-pr6j-ghxc
8.8
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code...
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
- Record
GHSA-9v96-pr6j-ghxc- CVSS 3.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBELL-CVE-2016-7976
8.8
CVE-2016-7976 does not affect BellSoft software
- Record
BELL-CVE-2016-7976- CVSS 3.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
8.8
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
- Record
CVE-2016-7976- CVSS 3.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Show 5 moreShow less
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2016-7976
8.8
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2016-7976- CVSS 3.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2016-7976
8.8
The PS Interpreter in Ghostscript 9.18 and 9.20 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted userparams.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2016-7976- CVSS 3.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2017-0133 No score
Updated ghostscript packages fix security vulnerability
Various userparams in Ghostscript allow %pipe% in paths, allowing remote shell command execution (CVE-2016-7976).
The .libfile function in Ghostscript doesn't check PermitFileReading array, allowing remote file disclosure (CVE-2016-7977).
Reference leak in the .setdevice function in Ghostscript allows use-after-free and remote code execution (CVE-2016-7978).
Type confusion in the .initialize_dsc_parser function in Ghostscript allows remote code execution (CVE-2016-7979).
The .sethalftone5 function in psi/zht2.c in Ghostscript before 9.21 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted Postscript document that calls .sethalftone5 with an empty operand stack (CVE-2016-8602).
A heap based buffer overflow was found in the ghostscript jbig2_decode_gray_scale_image() function used to decode halftone segments in a JBIG2 image. A document (PostScript or PDF) with an embedded, specially crafted, jbig2 image could trigger a segmentation fault in ghostscript (CVE-2016-9601).
The pdf14_open function in base/gdevp14.c in Ghostscript 9.20 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (use-after-free and application crash) via a crafted file that is mishandled in the color management module (CVE-2016-10217).
The pdf14_pop_transparency_group function in base/gdevp14.c in the PDF Transparency module in Ghostscript 9.20 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and application crash) via a crafted file (CVE-2016-10218).
The intersect function in base/gxfill.c in Ghostscript 9.20 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (divide-by-zero error and application crash) via a crafted file (CVE-2016-10219).
The gs_makewordimagedevice function in base/gsdevmem.c in Ghostscript 9.20 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and application crash) via a crafted file that is mishandled in the PDF Transparency module (CVE-2016-10220).
The mem_get_bits_rectangle function in base/gdevmem.c in Ghostscript 9.20 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and application crash) via a crafted file (CVE-2017-5951).
The mem_get_bits_rectangle function in Ghostscript 9.20 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference) via a crafted PostScript document (CVE-2017-7207).
Ghostscript through 2017-04-26 allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile (%pipe%" substring in a crafted .eps document that is an input to the gs program (CVE-2017-8291).
- Record
MGASA-2017-0133- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:10003-1 No score
ghostscript-9.20-2.1 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the ghostscript-9.20-2.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:10003-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUSN-3148-1 No score
ghostscript vulnerabilities
Tavis Ormandy discovered multiple vulnerabilities in the way that Ghostscript processes certain Postscript files. If a user or automated system were tricked into opening a specially crafted file, an attacker could cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code. (CVE-2016-7976, CVE-2016-7978, CVE-2016-7979, CVE-2016-8602)
Multiple vulnerabilities were discovered in Ghostscript related to information disclosure. If a user or automated system were tricked into opening a specially crafted file, an attacker could expose sensitive data. (CVE-2013-5653, CVE-2016-7977)
- Record
USN-3148-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
ghostscriptDebian:12 |
before 9.19~dfsg-3.1 | 9.19~dfsg-3.1 |
ghostscriptDebian:13 |
before 9.19~dfsg-3.1 | 9.19~dfsg-3.1 |
ghostscriptDebian:14 |
before 9.19~dfsg-3.1 | 9.19~dfsg-3.1 |
ghostscriptDebian:7 |
before 9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u3, plus listed versions 9.05~dfsg-6.39.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u19.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u2 |
9.05~dfsg-6.3+deb7u3 |
ghostscriptDebian:8 |
before 9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u3, plus listed versions 9.06~dfsg-29.06~dfsg-2+deb8u19.06~dfsg-2+deb8u2 |
9.06~dfsg-2+deb8u3 |
ghostscriptMageia:5 |
before 9.20-1.mga5 | 9.20-1.mga5 |
gutenprintMageia:5 |
before 5.2.10-5.1.mga5 | 5.2.10-5.1.mga5 |
libspectreMageia:5 |
before 0.2.7-5.1.mga5 | 0.2.7-5.1.mga5 |
ghostscriptUbuntu:14.04:LTS |
before 9.10~dfsg-0ubuntu10.5, plus listed versions 9.10~dfsg-0ubuntu29.10~dfsg-0ubuntu39.10~dfsg-0ubuntu49.10~dfsg-0ubuntu59.10~dfsg-0ubuntu6 Show 8 moreShow less9.10~dfsg-0ubuntu79.10~dfsg-0ubuntu89.10~dfsg-0ubuntu99.10~dfsg-0ubuntu109.10~dfsg-0ubuntu10.19.10~dfsg-0ubuntu10.29.10~dfsg-0ubuntu10.39.10~dfsg-0ubuntu10.4 |
9.10~dfsg-0ubuntu10.5 |
ghostscriptUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
before 9.18~dfsg~0-0ubuntu2.2, plus listed versions 9.16~dfsg~0-0ubuntu39.16~dfsg~0-0ubuntu49.18~dfsg~0-0ubuntu19.18~dfsg~0-0ubuntu2 |
9.18~dfsg~0-0ubuntu2.2 |
ghostscriptopenSUSE:Tumbleweed |
before 9.20-2.1 | 9.20-2.1 |
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | ImageMagick Delegate Arbitrary Command Execution | 2016-05-03 |
History
| When | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-03 | aliases | EUVD |
| 2026-11-02 | created | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, Metasploit, NVD, OSV |
References
debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3691
bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=697178
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/19/6
git.ghostscript.com?p=user/chrisl/ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=6d444c273da5499a4cd72f21cb6d4c9a5256807d
security.gentoo.org/glsa/201702-31
securityfocus.com/bid/95332
Show 26 moreShow less
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7976
git.ghostscript.com?p=user/chrisl/ghostpdl.git;a=commit;h=6d444c273da5499a4cd72f21cb6d4c9a5256807d
github.com/advisories/GHSA-9v96-pr6j-ghxc
docs.bell-sw.com/security/cves/CVE-2016-7976
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-7976
advisories.mageia.org/MGASA-2017-0133.html
bugs.mageia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=19542
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/05/15
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/thread/IJ3D6O5XHLO4UJVJETVCWPIWWWV6LQUE
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-7976
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/10/05/7
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/09/30/8
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-3148-1
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7976
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2013-5653
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-7977
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-7978
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-7979
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-8602
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2013-5653
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2015-3228
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2016-7976
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2016-7977
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2016-7978
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2016-7979
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2016-8602