CVE-2023-46751 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability in Artifex Ghostscript through 10.02.0 can be exploited by remote attackers to crash the application due to a dangling pointer.

Understanding CVE-2023-46751

This section delves into the details of CVE-2023-46751.

What is CVE-2023-46751?

CVE-2023-46751 is a vulnerability found in the function gdev_prn_open_printer_seekable() in Artifex Ghostscript through version 10.02.0. This flaw enables remote attackers to crash the application by exploiting a dangling pointer.

The Impact of CVE-2023-46751

The impact of CVE-2023-46751 is the potential for a denial-of-service (DoS) attack on systems running the vulnerable Ghostscript version.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-46751

In this section, we explore the technical aspects of CVE-2023-46751.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability lies in the function gdev_prn_open_printer_seekable() in Artifex Ghostscript, allowing remote attackers to crash the application by leveraging a dangling pointer.

Affected Systems and Versions

All systems running Artifex Ghostscript up to version 10.02.0 are affected by CVE-2023-46751.

Exploitation Mechanism

Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability by triggering the dangling pointer in the affected function, leading to a crash of the application.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines the necessary steps to mitigate and prevent exploitation of CVE-2023-46751.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update Artifex Ghostscript to a non-vulnerable version and apply patches provided by the vendor.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices and regular security audits can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for updates and patches for Artifex Ghostscript to ensure that the software is up to date and secure.