CVE-2026-101258 Red Hat CVE debrief

Who should care

Defenders and administrators of Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems with Ghostscript installed should assess exposure and prioritize remediation. The vulnerability can be exploited through crafted PostScript or EPS documents, and its impact is limited to the context of the Ghostscript process. However, the exact versions affected and the extent of exploitation remain unknown. Affected systems may require urgent patching, and defenders should verify Ghostscrip

Why it matters

CVE-2026-101258 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ghostscript that allows a -dsafer sandbox bypass, potentially leading to arbitrary shell command execution. Defenders and administrators of Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems with Ghostscript installed should assess exposure and prioritize remediation. The vulnerability can be exploited through crafted PostScript or EPS documents, and its impact is limited to the context of the Ghostscript process. However, the exact versions affected and the extent of exploitation remain unknown.

• Potential arbitrary shell command execution
• Possible compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability
• Need for urgent patching of affected systems
• Verification of Ghostscript version and configuration required

Technical summary

The vulnerability allows a -dsafer sandbox bypass in Ghostscript via type 5 shading out-of-bounds write and procedure-stream use-after-free. This can lead to arbitrary shell command execution when processing crafted PostScript or EPS documents. The issue impacts various Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions. Affected systems may require urgent patching, and defenders should verify Ghostscript version and configuration. The vulnerability can be exploited through crafted PostScript or EPS documents, and its impact is limited to the context of the Ghostscript process.

Defensive priority

High

Recommended defensive actions

• Assess exposure of Ghostscript installations
• Prioritize patching for affected Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions
• Monitor for suspicious PostScript or EPS document processing
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up

Evidence notes

The CVE record and NVD entry provide details on the vulnerability. Red Hat has a security advisory for this issue. Limited information is available on exploitation or affected versions. Defenders should verify Ghostscript version and configuration, review compensating controls, and monitor for suspicious PostScript or EPS document processing. The vulnerability allows a -dsafer sandbox bypass in Ghostscript via type 5 shading out-of-bounds write and procedure-stream use-after-free.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.