CVE-2019-14869
HIGHEPSS 88th pctlDescription
A flaw was found in all versions of ghostscript 9.x before 9.50, where the `.charkeys` procedure, where it did not properly secure its privileged calls, enabling scripts to bypass `-dSAFER` restrictions. An attacker could abuse this flaw by creating a specially crafted PostScript file that could escalate privileges within the Ghostscript and access files outside of restricted areas or execute commands.
How to fix
This Ubuntu release reached end-of-life on 2021-04-02.
This Ubuntu release reached end-of-life on 2023-05-31. Extended security maintenance is available until 2028-04-01.
This Ubuntu release reached end-of-life on 2021-04-02.
This Ubuntu release reached end-of-life on 2023-05-31. Extended security maintenance is available until 2028-04-01.
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Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Elevated risk: more likely to be exploited than 88% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-648 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-20122 | Medium | 5.4 | 25% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2019-14813 | Critical | 9.8 | 11% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2024-8785 | Critical | 9.8 | 9.5% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2025-54766 | Medium | 5.3 | 7.6% | - | - |
| CVE-2025-54765 | Medium | 5.3 | 7.6% | - | - |
| CVE-2025-54767 | Medium | 6.5 | 6.0% | - | - |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2019-14869?
Published advisories record a fix for 10 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2019-14869 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2019-14869 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 3.4% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 88% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2019-14869?
CVE-2019-14869 has a CVSS v3 base score of 8.8, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2019-14869 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for ghostscript (Amazon), ghostscript-cups (Amazon), ghostscript-debuginfo (Amazon), ghostscript-doc (Amazon), and 6 more. Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-06-17.