HIGH CVSS 7.8
Published: 2017-02-24

CVE-2017-6196

artifex afpl_ghostscript Security Advisory (CVE-2017-6196)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2017-6196 impacting artifex afpl_ghostscript. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Multiple use-after-free vulnerabilities in the gx_image_enum_begin function in base/gxipixel.c in Ghostscript before ecceafe3abba2714ef9b432035fe0739d9b1a283 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted PostScript document.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
Required (UI:R)
User must click or open resource
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product artifex / afpl_ghostscript
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-416

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2017-6196 impacting artifex afpl_ghostscript.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2017-6196.yaml
id: cve-2017-6196

info:
  name: artifex afpl_ghostscript - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2017-6196 affecting artifex afpl_ghostscript.
    Evaluation: Multiple use-after-free vulnerabilities in the gx_image_enum_begin function in base/gxipixel.c in Ghostscript before ecceafe3abba2714ef9b432035fe0739d...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2017-6196
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.8
    cve-id: CVE-2017-6196
    cwe-id: CWE-416
  tags: cve,cve-2017-6196,artifex,afpl_ghostscript,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "afpl_ghostscript"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2017-6196.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2017-6196
# Target: artifex afpl_ghostscript | CVSS: 7.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2017-6196 (artifex afpl_ghostscript)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against artifex afpl_ghostscript scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2017-6196.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2017-6196
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install afpl_ghostscript 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade afpl_ghostscript 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update afpl_ghostscript

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i afpl_ghostscript 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i afpl_ghostscript

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2017-6196 in artifex afpl_ghostscript?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update artifex afpl_ghostscript packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2017-6196?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2017-6196?

CVE-2017-6196 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2017-6196
Weakness CWE-416
Vendor artifex
Product afpl_ghostscript
Published 2017-02-24
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H