cbcvebase.
CVE-2010-1869
published 2010-05-12

CVE-2010-1869: Stack-based buffer overflow in the parser function in GhostScript 8.70 and 8.64 allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted…

PriorityP355critical9.3CVSS 2.0
AVNACMAuNCCICAC
EXPLOIT
EPSS
9.27%
94.8th percentile
Stack-based buffer overflow in the parser function in GhostScript 8.70 and 8.64 allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted PostScript file.

Affected

7 ranges
VendorProductVersion rangeFixed in
artifexghostscript>= 0 < 8.71~dfsg-48.71~dfsg-4
artifexghostscript>= 0 < 8.71~dfsg-48.71~dfsg-4
artifexghostscript>= 0 < 8.71~dfsg-48.71~dfsg-4
artifexghostscript>= 0 < 8.71~dfsg-48.71~dfsg-4
artifexgpl_ghostscript
artifexgpl_ghostscript
debianghostscript< ghostscript 8.71~dfsg-4 (bookworm)ghostscript 8.71~dfsg-4 (bookworm)

Detection & IOCsextracted from sources · hover to see the quote

filenamecrash.pdf
bytes
\x54\x5a\xda\xd1\xd9\x72\xf4\x5a\x4a\x4a\x4a\x4a\x4a\x43\x43\x43\x43\x43\x43\x52\x59\x56\x54\x58\x33\x30\x56\x58\x34\x41\x50\x30\x41\x33\x48\x48\x30\x41\x30\x30\x41\x42\x41\x41\x42\x54\x41\x41\x51\x32\x41\x42\x32\x42\x42\x30\x42\x42\x58\x50\x38\x41\x43\x4a\x4a\x49\x50\x31\x49\x50\x46\x30\x45\x38\x4b\x4f\x44\x42\x42\x31\x51\x4c\x4d\x59\x4b\x57\x50\x50\x43\x5a\x45\x51\x42\x4a\x44\x42\x42\x4a\x44\x50\x4e\x50\x45\x31\x48\x4d\x4b\x30\x51\x47\x46\x30\x46\x30\x43\x5a\x45\x38\x51\x48\x48\x4d\x4b\x30\x4d\x59\x51\x57\x4a\x4c\x48\x30\x43\x5a\x48\x4d\x4d\x50\x4e\x50\x45\x4e\x48\x4d\x4d\x50\x50\x50\x50\x50\x43\x5a\x51\x4a\x50\x58\x48\x4d\x4d\x50\x4b\x4f\x50\x4f\x4a\x44\x43\x49\x4b\x46\x46\x30\x42\x48\x46\x4f\x46\x4f\x44\x33\x42\x48\x43\x58\x46\x4f\x43\x52\x45\x39\x42\x4e\x4b\x39\x4b\x53\x46\x30\x46\x34\x50\x53\x50\x50\x48\x30\x47\x4b\x48\x4d\x4d\x50\x41\x41
bytes
e!PS + 'A'x500 + shellcode addr \x40\xd9\xbf\xbf + \xef\xbe\xbf\xbf + \xff\xbf pattern
  • Malicious PostScript/PDF file triggers a stack-based buffer overflow in GhostScript's PS token parser. Look for crafted files with the magic bytes 'e!PS' at the start, followed by large padding buffers, delivered as .pdf or .ps files.
  • The exploit drops a file named 'crash.pdf' and triggers execution via CUPS printing (cupsd). Monitor for gs/ghostscript processes spawned by cupsd opening unexpected PDF/PS files.
  • Affected versions are GhostScript 8.64 and 8.70. Detect vulnerable installations by checking the ghostscript binary version; flag any gs process parsing untrusted PS/PDF input on these versions.
  • ·Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, 4, and 5 are NOT affected by CVE-2010-1869; only RHEL 6 (ghostscript 8.70) was evaluated and found not affected as well.
  • ·Ubuntu impact is limited to specific releases: CVE-2010-1869 only affected Ubuntu 8.04 LTS, 9.04, and 9.10.
  • ·The exploit targets FreeBSD 8.0 specifically; hardcoded shellcode addresses (e.g., \x40\xd9\xbf\xbf) are platform-specific and will differ on other OS/architecture combinations.
  • ·Debian fixed this in ghostscript 8.71~dfsg-4 across all tracked branches (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie).

CVSS provenance

nvdv2.09.3CRITICALAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
osv9.3CRITICAL
vendor_debian9.3CRITICAL
vendor_redhat9.3CRITICAL
vendor_ubuntu9.3CRITICAL
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