---
title: "CVE-2018-16510\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-16510?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2018-16510

Publication date 5 September 2018

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**7.8 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-16510?format=md#impact-score)

Toggle side navigation

## Description

An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.24. Incorrect exec
stack handling in the "CS" and "SC" PDF primitives could be used by remote
attackers able to supply crafted PDFs to crash the interpreter or possibly
have unspecified other impact.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-16510?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ghostscript | 18.04 LTS bionic | Fixed 9.22~dfsg+1-0ubuntu1.2 |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)
* [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2018-16510?format=md#patch-details)

## Notes

---

### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur)

code isn't present in xenial and earlier, need to try reproducer

### Patch details

For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

| Package | Patch details |
| --- | --- |
| ghostscript | * Upstream:   <http://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commit;h=ea735ba37dc0fd5f5622d031830b9a559dec1cc9> |

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

7.8 · High

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Local |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | None |
  | User interaction | Required |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | High |
  | Integrity impact | High |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 7.8 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2018-16510)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16510)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2018-16510)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2018-16510)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

+ [USN-3773-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-3773-1)
+ Ghostscript vulnerabilities
+ 1 October 2018

+ [USN-3768-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-3768-1)
+ Ghostscript vulnerabilities
+ 19 September 2018

### Other references

* <http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/08/27/4>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-16510>