CVE-2023-36664
Debian Linux 11.0 … 12.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-36664 is a high-severity Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties (CWE-552) vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Automated Collection (T1119); ranked in the top 10% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
Artifex Ghostscript through version 10.01.2 contains a vulnerability that stems from improper permission validation when handling pipe devices, which can be referenced using the %pipe% prefix or the | pipe character prefix. The affected component is the Ghostscript interpreter itself, which processes PostScript and PDF files and is commonly integrated into document viewers, printers, and conversion tools.
An attacker can exploit the flaw by supplying a specially crafted input file that triggers pipe device access. Because the CVSS vector indicates local access, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and user interaction, a victim must open the malicious file on their system; successful exploitation grants the attacker full control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected host.
Upstream fixes appear in commits to the Ghostscript repository that restore proper permission checks for pipe devices, and distribution advisories such as those issued by Fedora provide updated packages that resolve the issue. The associated EPSS scores have remained low, with a current value of 0.0643 and a peak of 0.0767.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-40608
Vulnerability Data
Artifex Ghostscript before 10.01.2 mishandles permission validation for pipe devices (with the %pipe% prefix or the | pipe character prefix).
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 5 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
V8.4.2
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Controls on authorized publication limit files and directories with nonpublic data from becoming accessible to external parties.
Controlling and documenting P2P file sharing prevents files and directories from being made accessible to external parties for unauthorized distribution.
Identifying and documenting file and directory locations allows restriction of access to external parties.
Protecting backup files ensures they are not accessible to external parties or unauthorized spheres.
Sanitizing equipment before off-site maintenance reduces the risk of files or directories containing sensitive data becoming accessible to external parties.
Policy restricts media access to authorized parties only, preventing exposure of resources to external or unauthorized actors.
Media access restrictions prevent files or directories from being accessible to external parties.
Employing and evaluating controls at documented alternate sites makes files and directories less likely to be accessible to external parties through physical or environmental weaknesses.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Enforcing least-privilege permissions and authorization policies directly prevents unauthorized file/directory exposure.
Data-at-rest protections such as encryption or ACLs reduce the impact of unintended file exposure.
Logical segmentation and access protections stop external parties from reaching files that should remain internal.
Hardened configuration baselines commonly include file-system permission settings that limit external access.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
- V-248579 OL 8 must restrict access to the kernel message buffer. blocks CWE-552
- V-248597 There must be no "shosts.equiv" files on the OL 8 operating system. blocks CWE-552