CVE-2022-2085

Application crash via missing buffer-device callback

Published Jun 16, 2022 · Updated Feb 13, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in Ghostscript 9.55.0 allows attackers to crash the application by processing crafted high-bit-depth input. The gx_default_create_buf_device buffer allocator selects mem_x_device above 64 bits per pixel, then calls its undefined init_device_procs callback. Exploitation requires a user or automated workflow to open attacker-controlled input, and the demonstrated consequence is process termination.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.48%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Ghostscript 9.55.0 allows attackers to crash the application by processing crafted high-bit-depth input. The gx_default_create_buf_device buffer allocator selects mem_x_device above 64 bits per pixel, then calls its undefined init_device_procs callback. Exploitation requires a user or automated workflow to open attacker-controlled input, and the demonstrated consequence is process termination.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2085
Published
Jun 16, 2022
Updated
Feb 13, 2025
Vendor
Artifex Software, Inc.
Product
Ghostscript
Classifications
CWE-476, T1204.002, T1203
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 16, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 13, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Affects in Ghostscript v9.55.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Artifex Software, Inc. · Ghostscriptversion=Affects in Ghostscript v9.55.0

Published CVSS scores

4.3NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1204.002User Execution: Malicious File
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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