CVE-2021-3781

Name: CVE-2021-3781
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2022-02-16T19:15:08.817+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.9/10EPSS 83.91%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-3781 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.9/10 on the CVSS scale. A trivial sandbox (enabled with the `-dSAFER` option) escape flaw was found in the ghostscript interpreter by injecting a specially crafted pipe command. This flaw allows a specially crafted document to execute arbitrary commands on the system in the context of the ghostscript interpreter. EPSS estimates a 83.91% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A trivial sandbox (enabled with the `-dSAFER` option) escape flaw was found in the ghostscript interpreter by injecting a specially crafted pipe command. This flaw allows a specially crafted document to execute arbitrary commands on the system in the context of the ghostscript interpreter. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality, integrity, as well as system availability.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.9/10

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

EPSS Probability

83.91%

99.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Artifex	Ghostscript	9.50
Artifex	Ghostscript	9.52
Artifex	Ghostscript	9.53.3
Artifex	Ghostscript	9.54.0
Fedoraproject	Fedora	34

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2002271Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://ghostscript.com/CVE-2021-3781.htmlPatch, Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202211-11Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2002271Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://ghostscript.com/CVE-2021-3781.htmlPatch, Vendor Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202211-11Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Feb 16, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-3781?

How severe is CVE-2021-3781?

CVE-2021-3781 has a CVSS score of 9.9/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 83.91% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-3781?

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-2021-3781?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST