CVE-2019-14811

HIGH

Ghostscript < 9.50 - Privilege Escalation via .pdf_hook_DSC_Creator Bypass

Title source: llm

Exploitation Summary

EIP tracks 1 public exploit for CVE-2019-14811. PoCs published by matejsmycka.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This exploit targets CVE-2019-14811 in GhostScript environments where PostScript output is executed, such as PDF previews. It overrides the `dSafer` flag to allow arbitrary command execution via `.forceput` and `.pdf_hook_DSC_Creator`.

Description

A flaw was found in, ghostscript versions prior to 9.50, in the .pdf_hook_DSC_Creator procedure where it did not properly secure its privileged calls, enabling scripts to bypass `-dSAFER` restrictions. A specially crafted PostScript file could disable security protection and then have access to the file system, or execute arbitrary commands.

Exploits (1)

nomisec WORKING POC

by matejsmycka · poc

https://github.com/matejsmycka/CVE-2019-14811-in-pdf-exploit

View Code ZIP pw:eip

This exploit targets CVE-2019-14811 in GhostScript environments where PostScript output is executed, such as PDF previews. It overrides the `dSafer` flag to allow arbitrary command execution via `.forceput` and `.pdf_hook_DSC_Creator`.

Classification

Working Poc 80%

Attack Type

Rce

Complexity

Moderate

Reliability

Reliable

Target: GhostScript (versions affected by CVE-2019-14811)

No auth needed

Prerequisites: GhostScript environment with PDF preview functionality enabled

MITRE ATT&CK

T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution

devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →

References (12)

Core 12

Core References

Exploit, Issue Tracking, Mitigation, Patch, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_confirm

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-14811

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_debian

https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4518

Mailing List, Third Party Advisory mailing-list x_refsource_mlist

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/09/msg00007.html

Mailing List, Third Party Advisory mailing-list x_refsource_bugtraq

https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Sep/15

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_redhat

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:2594

Mailing List, Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_fedora

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/LBUC4DBBJTRFNCR3IODBV4IXB2C2HI3V/

Mailing List, Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_fedora

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ZP34D27RKYV2POJ3NJLSVCHUA5V5C45A/

Mailing List, Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_fedora

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/6AATIHU32MYKUOXQDJQU4X4DDVL7NAY3/

Mailing List, Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_suse

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-09/msg00090.html

Mailing List, Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_suse

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-09/msg00088.html

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_redhat

https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2019:2824

Third Party Advisory vendor-advisory x_refsource_gentoo

https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202004-03

Scores

CVSS v3 7.8

EPSS 0.0376

EPSS Percentile 88.5%

Attack Vector LOCAL

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Details

CWE

CWE-648 CWE-863

Status published

Products (11)

artifex/ghostscript < 9.50

debian/debian_linux 8.0

debian/debian_linux 9.0

debian/debian_linux 10.0

fedoraproject/fedora 29

fedoraproject/fedora 30

fedoraproject/fedora 31

opensuse/leap 15.0

opensuse/leap 15.1

redhat/openshift_container_platform 3.11

... and 1 more

Published Sep 03, 2019

Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026