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CVE Record

CVE-2020-16309: A buffer overflow vulnerability in lxm5700m_print_page() in devices/gdevlxm.c of Artifex Software GhostScri...

A buffer overflow vulnerability in lxm5700m_print_page() in devices/gdevlxm.c of Artifex Software GhostScript v9.50 allows a remote attacker to cause a denial of service via a crafted eps 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 can crash when processing a specially crafted EPS file. The business risk is service disruption wherever Ghostscript handles untrusted documents, such as document conversion or print workflows. The source bundle says this was fixed in Ghostscript 9.51.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted availability risk, not a confirmed breach indicator. Prioritize systems that process external documents or support customer-facing conversion and print services. Patch through normal security maintenance, faster where untrusted EPS handling exists.

Technical view

CVE-2020-16309 is a buffer overflow in lxm5700m_print_page() in devices/gdevlxm.c in Artifex Ghostscript 9.50. The described impact is denial of service through a crafted EPS file. Upstream and Linux distribution advisories reference a fix or security updates.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely on systems running Ghostscript 9.50 or unpatched distribution packages that process EPS files from users, email, web uploads, print queues, or conversion jobs. The bundle does not identify broader affected versions.

Exploitation context

The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. The known attack condition is processing a crafted EPS file, with denial of service as the stated outcome. No evidence in the bundle supports claiming code execution.

Researcher notes

The key technical evidence points to a buffer overflow in lxm5700m_print_page() under devices/gdevlxm.c, with an upstream commit reference and distro advisories. CVSS, CWE, and detailed affected-version range are absent from the provided bundle, so scope should be verified against vendor packages.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade Ghostscript to version 9.51 or later where feasible.
  • Apply vendor distribution security updates from Debian, Gentoo, Ubuntu, or your package provider.
  • Limit Ghostscript processing of untrusted EPS files until patched.
  • Run document conversion and print processing in isolated, least-privileged environments.
  • Check current Artifex and OS vendor guidance for any newer instructions.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Ghostscript installations and confirm exact package versions.
  • Identify services or workflows that accept or transform EPS files.
  • Verify vendor security updates corresponding to CVE-2020-16309 are installed.
  • Review crash reports or service disruptions tied to Ghostscript document processing.
  • Confirm exposed document-processing paths are patched or isolated.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
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

No CWE listed

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