CVE-2009-4897: Buffer overflow in gs/psi/iscan.c in Ghostscript 8.64 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitr...

Security readout for executives and security teams

Ghostscript could mishandle a specially crafted PDF and corrupt memory. If a vulnerable system processes that PDF, the result may be application crash or code execution. This matters most where PDFs from users, email, uploads, or automated workflows are converted or inspected server-side. Exposure is most likely on systems running Ghostscript 8.64 or earlier, including distribution-packaged Ghostscript referenced by Ubuntu, Gentoo, and Mandriva advisories. Risk increases where Ghostscript processes untrusted PDFs automatically. Treat as high priority where the organization processes external PDFs. The business risk is not just crashing; vulnerable processing services may allow code execution. Prioritize internet-facing and automated document workflows first. Mitigation focus: Inventory Ghostscript versions across servers, desktops, containers, and PDF-processing services.; Apply vendor-distributed Ghostscript updates from the relevant operating system or package maintainer.; Limit or isolate processing of untrusted PDFs until vulnerable installations are updated..

Prepared

Jun 28, 2026, 02:01 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.