Out-of-Bounds Memory Read in Ghostscript

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-112922 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Ghostscript. It occurs when processing specially crafted PDF or PostScript files with malicious mesh shading data. The flaw involves improper bounds validation during indexed color value processing, leading to an out-of-bounds memory read. This happens due to an integer overflow in the indexed color index within mesh shading, bypassing bounds checks and reading past the palette buffer.

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Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, monitor for crashes in Ghostscript when processing PDF or PostScript files. Check logs for out-of-bounds memory read errors in Ghostscript processes. Use tools like 'strace' or 'valgrind' to trace Ghostscript execution for memory access violations. Example command: 'strace -e trace=memory gs -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=png16m input.pdf' to observe memory operations.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can impact you by causing a Denial of Service (DoS) through application crashes or limited information disclosure. Exploitation requires you to process a malicious file with Ghostscript, but no authentication or local access is needed. It may also lead to memory disclosure or crashes in Ghostscript when handling crafted files.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability primarily causes Denial of Service (DoS) via application crashes or limited information disclosure. It does not directly impact data confidentiality or integrity in a way that would typically violate GDPR or HIPAA. However, DoS conditions could disrupt access to systems handling protected data, potentially affecting service availability under these regulations.

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Mitigation Strategies

Avoid processing untrusted PDF or PostScript files with Ghostscript. Isolate Ghostscript in a low-privilege environment. Monitor for updates from Red Hat or Ghostscript developers and apply patches immediately when available. Consider using alternative tools for file processing until a fix is released.

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