CVE-2017-8291
HIGHCISA KEVEPSS 100th pctlDescription
Artifex Ghostscript through 2017-04-26 allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile (%pipe%" substring in a crafted .eps document that is an input to the gs program, as exploited in the wild in April 2017.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Very high risk: more likely to be exploited than 100% of all known CVEs.
Artifex Ghostscript Type Confusion Vulnerability
Artifex Ghostscript allows -dSAFER bypass and remote command execution via .rsdparams type confusion with a "/OutputFile.
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Remediation due: 2022-06-14
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-843 (Type Confusion) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2012-0507 | Critical | 9.8 | 98% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2011-0611 | High | 8.8 | 94% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2019-0752 | High | 7.5 | 82% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2017-0037 | High | 8.1 | 80% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2016-7201 | High | 8.8 | 80% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2020-6418 | High | 8.8 | 79% | KEV | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2017-8291?
Published advisories record a fix for 5 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2017-8291 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2017-8291 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation has been observed in the wild. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 2022-06-14. Treat it as a priority whatever its CVSS score says.
How severe is CVE-2017-8291?
CVE-2017-8291 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2017-8291 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for ghostscript (Debian), ghostscript (Ubuntu), ghostscript-x (Ubuntu), libgs9 (Ubuntu), and 1 more. Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-04-21.