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CVE-2021-45949: Ghostscript GhostPDL 9.50 through 9.54.0 has a heap-based buffer overflow in sampled_data_finish (called fr...

Ghostscript GhostPDL 9.50 through 9.54.0 has a heap-based buffer overflow in sampled_data_finish (called from sampled_data_continue and interp).

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

Ghostscript GhostPDL versions 9.50 through 9.54.0 contain a heap buffer overflow. Business risk is highest where servers automatically process untrusted documents or print/render jobs, because a malformed input could crash or potentially compromise that processing service.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted remediation item for document-processing environments. Prioritize internet-facing or automated file-processing systems first, but avoid emergency claims without exploitation evidence.

Technical view

The issue is a heap-based buffer overflow in sampled_data_finish, reached from sampled_data_continue and interp. Public sources identify Ghostscript GhostPDL 9.50 through 9.54.0 and point to an upstream commit plus Debian security updates.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely on hosts, containers, or appliances running Ghostscript/GhostPDL 9.50 through 9.54.0, especially document conversion, rendering, print, or scanning workflows that handle external files.

Exploitation context

The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. The OSS-Fuzz references indicate discovery through fuzzing, not observed attacks.

Researcher notes

Evidence is limited: CVE text names the vulnerable function and affected range, references OSS-Fuzz issue OSV-2021-803, an upstream commit, and Debian advisories. No CVSS, CWE, exploit status, or detailed vendor impact statement is provided in the bundle.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory Ghostscript and GhostPDL versions across servers, containers, and build images.
  • Apply applicable vendor or distribution security updates, including Debian DSA-5038 or DLA 2879-1 where relevant.
  • For non-Debian builds, check Ghostscript vendor guidance and move outside the affected 9.50 through 9.54.0 range.
  • Limit processing of untrusted files until patched.
  • Run Ghostscript services with least privilege and existing sandboxing controls where supported.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm installed Ghostscript or GhostPDL versions are not 9.50 through 9.54.0.
  • Verify package update status against the relevant vendor or distribution advisory.
  • Search application inventories for document rendering, conversion, print, or scan services invoking Ghostscript.
  • Review logs for unexpected crashes in Ghostscript processing paths.
  • Confirm externally supplied files are not processed by unpatched instances.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
7

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.

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CVE-2021-45949 mapping review

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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
6Source 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.