CVE-2023-28879: In Artifex Ghostscript through 10.01.0, there is a buffer overflow leading to potential corruption of data int

Q: How do I fix CVE-2023-28879?

ghostscript: upgrade to 10.01.0; debian linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2023-28879 being exploited?

CVE-2023-28879 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2023-28879 affect?

CVE-2023-28879 affects ghostscript, debian linux. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). In Artifex Ghostscript through 10.01.0, there is a buffer overflow leading to potential corruption of data internal to the PostScript interpreter, in base/sbcp.c. This affects BCPEncode, BCPDecode, TBCPEncode, and TBCPDecode. If the write b

Q: How urgent is CVE-2023-28879?

Priority 76/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 6%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference; CISA SSVC: automatable with total technical impact; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action; On your watchlist

This week

CRITICAL 9.8REMOTEWATCHLISTUPGRADEMITIGATE

CVE-2023-28879 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting ghostscript, debian linux. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

In Artifex Ghostscript through 10.01.0, there is a buffer overflow leading to potential corruption of data internal to the PostScript interpreter, in base/sbcp.c. This affects BCPEncode, BCPDecode, TBCPEncode, and TBCPDecode. If the write buffer is filled to one byte less than full, and one then tries to write an escaped character, two bytes are written.

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 6%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference
CISA SSVC: automatable with total technical impact
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action
On your watchlist

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	9.8 (Critical)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	6.3% (top 6%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-787
Published	2023-03-31
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: artifex · debian

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2023-03-31 17:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 05:48 UTCUpdated Record last modified

artifex ghostscript UPGRADE

Affected: < 10.01.0

Fixed in: 10.01.0

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy ghostscript || rpm -q ghostscript || ghostscript --version

2. UPGRADE to 10.01.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade ghostscript

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade ghostscript

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

debian debian linux MITIGATE

Affected: 10.0 · 11.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 10.0

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

Exact fixes by distribution

A distro patch exists: prefer upgrading over downgrading.

Fedora ELN · python-wrapt · FIXED · 2.5.2-1.eln159 · FEDORA-2026-5503ee9370 · source

sudo dnf upgrade --advisory=FEDORA-2026-5503ee9370

Fedora 46 · python-wrapt · FIXED · 2.5.2-1.fc46 · FEDORA-2026-8a83579801 · source

sudo dnf upgrade --advisory=FEDORA-2026-8a83579801

Ubuntu 20.04 · ghostscript · FIXED · 9.50~dfsg-5ubuntu4.7

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade ghostscript dpkg --compare-versions "$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' ghostscript)" ge "9.50~dfsg-5ubuntu4.7" && echo PATCHED || echo STILL-VULNERABLE

Ubuntu 22.04 · ghostscript · FIXED · 9.55.0~dfsg1-0ubuntu5.2

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade ghostscript dpkg --compare-versions "$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' ghostscript)" ge "9.55.0~dfsg1-0ubuntu5.2" && echo PATCHED || echo STILL-VULNERABLE

Debian 12 · ghostscript · FIXED · 10.0.0~dfsg-11

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade ghostscript dpkg --compare-versions "$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' ghostscript)" ge "10.0.0~dfsg-11" && echo PATCHED || echo STILL-VULNERABLE

Debian 13 · ghostscript · FIXED · 10.0.0~dfsg-11

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade ghostscript dpkg --compare-versions "$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' ghostscript)" ge "10.0.0~dfsg-11" && echo PATCHED || echo STILL-VULNERABLE

RHEL 8 · ghostscript · FIXED · ghostscript-9.27-11.el8

sudo dnf upgrade --advisory=RHSA-2023:7053 rpm -q ghostscript

RHEL 9 · ghostscript · FIXED · ghostscript-9.54.0-13.el9

sudo dnf upgrade --advisory=RHSA-2023:6544 rpm -q ghostscript

RHEL 6 · ghostscript · DEFERRED

RHEL 7 · ghostscript · DEFERRED

RHEL 8 · gimp:flatpak/ghostscript · DEFERRED

Amazon Linux 2023 · see advisory · FIXED · ALAS2023-2023-162 · source

sudo dnf update --advisory=ALAS2023-2023-162

Amazon Linux 2 · see advisory · FIXED · ALAS2-2023-2019 · source

sudo yum update --advisory=ALAS2-2023-2019

Amazon Linux 1 · see advisory · FIXED · ALAS-2023-1734 · source

sudo yum update --advisory=ALAS-2023-1734

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Write-up: bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=706494

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2023-28879?

ghostscript: upgrade to 10.01.0; debian linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2023-28879 being exploited?

CVE-2023-28879 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2023-28879 affect?

CVE-2023-28879 affects ghostscript, debian linux. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). In Artifex Ghostscript through 10.01.0, there is a buffer overflow leading to potential corruption of data internal to the PostScript interpreter, in base/sbcp.c. This affects BCPEncode, BCPDecode, TBCPEncode, and TBCPDecode. If the write b

How urgent is CVE-2023-28879?

Priority 76/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 6%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference; CISA SSVC: automatable with total technical impact; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action; On your watchlist

Software pages

Debian vulnerabilities · Ghostscript vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

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References

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