# CVE-2017-8291: Artifex Ghostscript Type Confusion Vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2017-8291-artifex-ghostscript-type-confusion-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2022-05-24. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2017-8291 · Severity: critical · CVSS 7.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2022-05-24

Artifex Ghostscript is vulnerable to a type confusion via .rsdparams when processing a crafted .eps document. An attacker can bypass the -dSAFER restriction and execute arbitrary commands by using a specifically formatted OutputFile string.

Technologies: [Artifex Ghostscript](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/ghostscript). Vendors: [Artifex](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/artifex).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2017-8291 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2017-8291 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 24 May 2022. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2017-8291?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 24 May 2022.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Artifex Ghostscript up to 9.21.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2017-8291?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2017-8291 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2017-8291?** Check whether you run Artifex Ghostscript. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- Artifex Ghostscript up to 9.21

## Timeline

- 2017-04-27: exploited: Exploited in the wild in April 2017.
- 2017-04-27: disclosed: Vulnerability reported in Ghostscript bug tracker.
- 2022-05-24: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog.

## Related threats

- [Ghostscript -dSAFER bypass in font loader](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-125396-ghostscript-before-10-08-0-contains-a-dsafer-bypass)
- [Artifex Ghostscript stack-based buffer overflow in Pdfwrite](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-103226-a-vulnerability-was-identified-in-artifex-ghostscript-up-to-10)