LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2021-45944: Ghostscript GhostPDL 9.50 through 9.53.3 has a use-after-free in sampled_data_sample (called from sampled_d...

Ghostscript GhostPDL 9.50 through 9.53.3 has a use-after-free in sampled_data_sample (called from sampled_data_continue and interp).

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2021-45944 is a memory-safety flaw in Ghostscript GhostPDL versions 9.50 through 9.53.3. The public record identifies a use-after-free condition. Business urgency depends on where those versions exist and whether they process attacker-controlled content; the supplied sources do not provide CVSS, CWE, or confirmed exploitation.

Executive priority

Treat as a targeted remediation item, not an emergency, unless affected versions handle untrusted content in business-critical workflows. The lack of CVSS, KEV listing, and exploitation evidence lowers confidence in urgency, but memory-safety flaws in document processors deserve timely patch validation.

Technical view

The vulnerability is a use-after-free in sampled_data_sample, called from sampled_data_continue and interp, in Ghostscript GhostPDL 9.50 through 9.53.3. References include OSS-Fuzz issues, a GhostPDL commit, and Debian security updates. The provided source bundle does not specify exploitability, impact primitives, or a universal fixed upstream version.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to environments running Ghostscript GhostPDL 9.50 through 9.53.3 or downstream packages covered by the Debian advisories. Priority should be higher where Ghostscript is reachable through automated document-processing workflows, but that deployment pattern must be confirmed locally.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show active exploitation, and CISA KEV status is false. OSS-Fuzz references suggest the issue was discovered through fuzzing. No exploit code, public weaponization, or attack procedure is provided in the supplied evidence.

Researcher notes

Evidence is incomplete: the bundle names the vulnerable function path and version range but lacks CVSS, CWE, exploitability analysis, and a clear universal fixed version. Use the OSS-Fuzz records, Debian advisories, and GhostPDL commit to establish package-specific remediation and regression context.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory Ghostscript GhostPDL versions across servers, containers, and build images.
  • Apply Debian DSA-5038 or DLA 2879-1 updates where applicable.
  • Review the referenced GhostPDL commit and vendor guidance for upstream remediation.
  • Reduce use of affected versions until remediated, especially in exposed processing workflows.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm whether any installation reports Ghostscript GhostPDL 9.50 through 9.53.3.
  • Map affected installations to applications or services that invoke Ghostscript.
  • Check Debian package status against DSA-5038 or DLA 2879-1.
  • Verify updated hosts no longer report an affected Ghostscript GhostPDL version.
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

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2021-45944 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
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
8Source 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

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.