CVE-2017-8291
Artifex Ghostscript Type Confusion Vulnerability
Artifex Ghostscript
Artifex Ghostscript through 2017-04-26 allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile (%pipe%" substring in a crafted .eps document that is an input to the gs program, as exploited in the wild in April 2017.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 24 May 2022. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 14 June 2022.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 97%, which is higher than 99.9% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2017-8291 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2017-8291.
What does CVE-2017-8291 affect?
CVE-2017-8291 affects Artifex Ghostscript. Artifex Ghostscript through 2017-04-26 allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile (%pipe%" substring in a crafted .eps document that is an input to the gs program, as exploited in the wild in April 2017.
How severe is CVE-2017-8291?
CVE-2017-8291 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 97%, higher than 99.9% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 14 June 2022.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2017-8291?
Apply the vendor patch for Artifex Ghostscript as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.