# CVE-2026-125396: Ghostscript -dSAFER bypass in font loader

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-125396-ghostscript-before-10-08-0-contains-a-dsafer-bypass  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-11-10. Updated: 2026-11-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-125396 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2026-11-10

Ghostscript, a widely-used tool for processing PostScript and PDF documents, contains a security bypass that allows attackers to circumvent the -dSAFER sandbox protection. An attacker can craft a malicious PDF or PostScript file that exploits a flaw in the font-loading code to achieve arbitrary code execution with full system access, bypassing all intended safety restrictions.

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

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-125396 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-125396 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-125396?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 10 November 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Artifex Ghostscript before 10.08.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-125396?** Yes: fixed in 10.08.0. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-125396 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-125396?** Check whether you run Artifex Ghostscript at an affected version. 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.

## How to fix

- Fixed in 10.08.0

## Technical details

The vulnerability is a use-after-free in the .putgstringcopy procedure (gs_fonts.ps) that fails to validate operand types before calling the privileged .forceput operator. An attacker-controlled PostScript document can trigger a typecheck error, install a custom error handler to recover .forceput with attacker-supplied operands, and cause .forceput to store a post-save local string in protected systemdict. When restore() frees the local allocation, a dangling reference persists in the protected dictionary. Allocator grooming and careful memory manipulation create an arbitrary native read/write primitive that allows hijacking C function pointers, bypassing -dSAFER entirely.

## Affected products

- Artifex Ghostscript before 10.08.0

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10: disclosed
- 2026-10-31: other: Marked RESOLVED FIXED in bug tracker
- 2026-09-01: other: Initial report

## References

- [https://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=709684](https://bugs.ghostscript.com/show_bug.cgi?id=709684)
- [https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl](https://github.com/ArtifexSoftware/ghostpdl)

## Related threats

- [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)
- [Artifex Ghostscript Type Confusion Vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2017-8291-artifex-ghostscript-type-confusion-vulnerability)