CVE-2018-16585

Name: CVE-2018-16585
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2018-09-06T14:29:00.76+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

UnknownEPSS 1.72%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2018-16585 is a vulnerability of currently unknown severity. An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. The .setdistillerkeys PostScript command is accepted even though it is not intended for use during document processing (e.g., after the startup phase). EPSS estimates a 1.72% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. The .setdistillerkeys PostScript command is accepted even though it is not intended for use during document processing (e.g., after the startup phase). This leads to memory corruption, allowing remote attackers able to supply crafted PostScript to crash the interpreter or possibly have unspecified other impact. Note: A reputable source believes that the CVE is potentially a duplicate of CVE-2018-15910 as explained in Red Hat bugzilla (https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1626193)

Metrics

EPSS Probability

1.72%

74.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-119

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Artifex	Ghostscript	< 9.24
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	14.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	16.04
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	18.04
Debian	Debian Linux	8.0
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0

References

http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=1497d65039885a52b598b137dd8622bd4672f9be
http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=971472c83a345a16dac9f90f91258bb22dd77f22
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1626193
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00015.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2018/q3/182Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201811-12Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3768-1/Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4288Third Party Advisory
http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=1497d65039885a52b598b137dd8622bd4672f9be
http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=971472c83a345a16dac9f90f91258bb22dd77f22
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1626193
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00015.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2018/q3/182Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201811-12Third Party Advisory
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3768-1/Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4288Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Sep 6, 2018
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16585?

How severe is CVE-2018-16585?

Severity scoring for CVE-2018-16585 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 1.72% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16585?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2018-16585?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST