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CVE Record

CVE-2020-16301: A buffer overflow vulnerability in okiibm_print_page1() in devices/gdevokii.c of Artifex Software GhostScri...

A buffer overflow vulnerability in okiibm_print_page1() in devices/gdevokii.c of Artifex Software GhostScript v9.50 allows a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via a crafted PDF file. This is fixed in v9.51.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

Ghostscript 9.50 has a buffer overflow that can crash processing when it handles a malicious PDF. The business risk is disruption to systems that automatically convert, render, print, or inspect PDFs. The source bundle says this was fixed in Ghostscript 9.51.

Executive priority

Prioritize patching where PDF handling is automated or externally reachable. This is primarily an availability risk based on the provided sources, but affected document pipelines can still create business disruption.

Technical view

CVE-2020-16301 is a buffer overflow in okiibm_print_page1() in devices/gdevokii.c in Artifex Ghostscript v9.50. The stated impact is remote denial of service via crafted PDF input. The bundle includes upstream bug and commit references plus Debian, Gentoo, and Ubuntu security advisories.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely where Ghostscript processes untrusted PDFs, including document conversion, print, preview, or backend rendering workflows. The bundle does not provide complete CPE data, so validation should be version and package based.

Exploitation context

The bundle supports remote denial of service through a crafted PDF. It does not show KEV listing, active exploitation, public weaponization, or code execution impact. Treat internet-facing or automated PDF processing as higher operational risk.

Researcher notes

Evidence is incomplete for CVSS, CWE, and formal affected CPEs. The strongest source facts are Ghostscript v9.50 affected, fixed in v9.51, function/file location, crafted PDF denial of service, and downstream Linux vendor advisories.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade Ghostscript to v9.51 or a vendor-patched package.
  • Apply Debian, Gentoo, or Ubuntu security updates where applicable.
  • Check current vendor guidance for unsupported or repackaged Ghostscript builds.
  • Avoid processing untrusted PDFs with vulnerable Ghostscript until patched.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Ghostscript versions on servers, desktops, containers, and build images.
  • Identify workflows that process user-supplied PDFs through Ghostscript.
  • Confirm package changelogs or advisories include CVE-2020-16301 remediation.
  • Re-run vulnerability scanning after updating affected packages.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
8

Public sources used

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

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
7Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

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