Heap-use-after-free vulnerability in ghostscript

ghostscript Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

12/10/2023

Disclosed on

HIGH

Severity

Yes i

Fix available

High

Severity

Not published

CVSS Score

OSV-2023-1008: Heap-use-after-free in gx_image_enum_begin. Affects ghostscript versions >= 021dcfe4fa68c3b5a3bc12a64d4acfa702309a7d, < d778b932be407d02690cd93df98fb1f891fde289. Fixed in d778b932be407d02690cd93df98fb1f891fde289. How to fix ↓

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Background

Ghostscript is an open-source interpreter for the PostScript language and the PDF file format. It is widely used for rendering and converting documents. This vulnerability affects the gx_image_enum_begin function in Ghostscript, which is responsible for enumerating images in a document. The vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit a heap-use-after-free bug, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or a denial of service.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability originates from a heap-use-after-free bug in the gx_image_enum_begin function. This bug occurs when the function attempts to access a memory region that has already been freed. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious document that triggers the bug, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or a denial of service. The vulnerability has been assigned a high severity rating.

How To Fix

Minimum fixed version

d778b932be407d02690cd93df98fb1f891fde289

This is the first release that contains the fix.

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Workaround

At the moment, there is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is advised to update Ghostscript to a patched version as soon as possible.

Conclusion

The heap-use-after-free vulnerability in Ghostscript's gx_image_enum_begin function poses a significant risk, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or a denial of service. It is crucial to update Ghostscript to a patched version to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support and assistance in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

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