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CVE-2017-8291

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in Artifex Ghostscript. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws.

CVE-2017-8291 is a security flaw in Artifex Ghostscript. Attackers can corrupt memory in Artifex Ghostscript, which they use to take it over. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 24 May 2022.[1]

Artifex Ghostscript is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Artifex has published a fix or advice.

Description

CISA calls it a type confusion in Artifex Ghostscript. In its words: “Artifex Ghostscript allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “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.”[2]

The underlying weakness is type confusion (CWE-704), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.

It scores 7.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Artifex’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Artifex Ghostscript.

Most families won’t have Artifex Ghostscript; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 24 May 2022, 1,853 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 14 Jun 2022 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 97%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

Artifex has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]

  1. Check whether you use it.Artifex Ghostscript is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
  2. Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 14 Jun 2022 to fix it.
  3. If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.

You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.8.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 97%.[4]

See also

Other type confusion flaws

  • CVE-2017-0037, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer: type confusion ·

Added the same day

  • CVE-2018-8611, Microsoft Windows: kernel privilege escalation ·
  • CVE-2018-19953, QNAP Network Attached Storage (NAS): NAS file station cross-site scripting ·
  • CVE-2018-19949, QNAP Network Attached Storage (NAS): NAS file station command injection ·
  • CVE-2018-19943, QNAP Network Attached Storage (NAS): NAS file station cross-site scripting ·
  • CVE-2017-8543, Microsoft Windows: search remote code execution ·

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Artifex Ghostscript Type Confusion Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 24 May 2022.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2017-8291 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 27 Apr 2017.
  3. ^ Artifex. Advisories and fixes: bugzilla.redhat.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.970, percentile 99.9, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2017-8291”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.