CVE-2020-36773

Name: CVE-2020-36773
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2024-02-04T18:16:00.713+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 0.88%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-36773 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. Artifex Ghostscript before 9.53.0 has an out-of-bounds write and use-after-free in devices/vector/gdevtxtw.c (for txtwrite) because a single character code in a PDF document can map to more than one Unicode code point (e.g., for a ligature).. EPSS estimates a 0.88% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Artifex Ghostscript before 9.53.0 has an out-of-bounds write and use-after-free in devices/vector/gdevtxtw.c (for txtwrite) because a single character code in a PDF document can map to more than one Unicode code point (e.g., for a ligature).

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.88%

54.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Artifex	Ghostscript	9.51	—
Artifex	Ghostscript	9.52	—
Artifex	Ghostscript	9.52.1	—
Artifex	Ghostscript	9.53.0	Rc1

References

https://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=702229Issue Tracking, Patch
https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1177922Issue Tracking
https://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=8c7bd787defa071c96289b7da9397f673fddb874Broken Link
https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/tag/gs9530Release Notes
https://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=702229Issue Tracking, Patch
https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1177922Issue Tracking
https://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=8c7bd787defa071c96289b7da9397f673fddb874Broken Link
https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl-downloads/releases/tag/gs9530Release Notes

Timeline

Published: Feb 4, 2024
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-36773?

How severe is CVE-2020-36773?

CVE-2020-36773 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.88% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-36773?

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-2020-36773?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST