CVE-2023-38559 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A buffer overflow vulnerability in Ghostscript has been identified with an out-of-bound read in

base/gdevdevn.c:1973

in

devn_pcx_write_rle()

. This flaw could be exploited by a local attacker, leading to a denial of service by outputting a malicious PDF file for a DEVN device with Ghostscript.

Understanding CVE-2023-38559

This section delves into the nature of the CVE-2023-38559 vulnerability.

What is CVE-2023-38559?

CVE-2023-38559 is a buffer overflow flaw in Ghostscript that allows a local attacker to trigger a denial of service by exploiting a specific function related to DEVN devices.

The Impact of CVE-2023-38559

The vulnerability could result in a denial of service attack when processing a crafted PDF file, affecting systems running affected versions of Ghostscript, particularly on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Fedora.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-38559

This section explores the technical aspects of CVE-2023-38559.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw originates from an out-of-bound read in Ghostscript, specifically in the

devn_pcx_write_rle()

function in

base/gdevdevn.c:1973

.

Affected Systems and Versions

Systems running Ghostscript on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, 9, 6, 7, along with Fedora, are susceptible to this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

A local attacker can exploit this vulnerability by creating and executing a malicious PDF file targeting DEVN devices within Ghostscript.

Mitigation and Prevention

In this section, we discuss mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-38559.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to apply the latest security patches provided by Red Hat for affected versions of Ghostscript on their systems.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly updating software, monitoring security bulletins, and maintaining secure configurations can help prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-38559.

Patching and Updates

Maintaining up-to-date patches and security fixes for Ghostscript and related packages is crucial in mitigating the risk associated with CVE-2023-38559 vulnerability.