CVE-2023-38559

Name: CVE-2023-38559
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2023-08-01T17:15:09.89+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.45%

Last modified Jun 23, 2026

CVE-2023-38559 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. A buffer overflow flaw was found in base/gdevdevn.c:1973 in devn_pcx_write_rle() in ghostscript. This issue may allow a local attacker to cause a denial of service via outputting a crafted PDF file for a DEVN device with gs.. EPSS estimates a 0.45% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A buffer overflow flaw was found in base/gdevdevn.c:1973 in devn_pcx_write_rle() in ghostscript. This issue may allow a local attacker to cause a denial of service via outputting a crafted PDF file for a DEVN device with gs.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.45%

35.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Artifex	Ghostscript	< 10.02.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux	8.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux	9.0
Fedoraproject	Fedora	37
Fedoraproject	Fedora	38
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0

References

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:6544Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7053Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-38559Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=706897Permissions Required
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2224367Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commitdiff;h=d81b82c70bc1Mailing List, Patch
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:6544Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7053Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-38559Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=706897Permissions Required
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2224367Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commitdiff;h=d81b82c70bc1Mailing List, Patch
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00006.html
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/GBV6BTUREXM6DB3OGHGLMWGAZ3I45TXE/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/QH7ERAYSSXEYDWWY7LOV7CA5MIDZN3Z6/

Timeline

Published: Aug 1, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 23, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-38559?

How severe is CVE-2023-38559?

CVE-2023-38559 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.45% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-38559?

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-2023-38559?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST