---
title: "CVE-2018-16802\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-2018-16802?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2018-16802

Publication date 10 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-2018-16802?format=md#impact-score)

Toggle side navigation

## Description

An issue was discovered in Artifex Ghostscript before 9.25. Incorrect
"restoration of privilege" checking when running out of stack during
exception handling could be used by attackers able to supply crafted
PostScript to execute code using the "pipe" instruction. This is due to an
incomplete fix for CVE-2018-16509.

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ghostscript | 18.04 LTS bionic | Fixed 9.22~dfsg+1-0ubuntu1.2 |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 9.18~dfsg~0-0ubuntu2.9 |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 9.10~dfsg-0ubuntu10.13 |

---

* [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-2018-16802?format=md#patch-details)

### 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:   <https://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commit;h=5812b1b78fc4d36fdc293b7859de69241140d590> * Upstream:   <https://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commit;h=e914f1da46e33decc534486598dc3eadf69e6efb> * Upstream:   <https://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commit;h=3e5d316b72e3965b7968bb1d96baa137cd063ac6> * Upstream:   <https://git.ghostscript.com/?p=ghostpdl.git;a=commit;h=643b24dbd002fb9c131313253c307cf3951b3d47> |

## 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-2018-16802)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16802)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2018-16802)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2018-16802)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

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

### Other references

* <http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2018/q3/142>
* <https://www.artifex.com/news/ghostscript-security-resolved/>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-16802>