CVE-2025-48708: Ghostscript Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-48708 Overview

A sensitive data exposure vulnerability exists in Artifex Ghostscript before version 10.05.1, specifically in the gs_lib_ctx_stash_sanitized_arg function within base/gslibctx.c. The vulnerability stems from inadequate argument sanitization when handling the # character case. When exploited, this flaw causes PDF documents created by Ghostscript to include their passwords in cleartext, potentially exposing sensitive authentication credentials.

Critical Impact

PDF documents generated by vulnerable Ghostscript versions may contain passwords in cleartext, leading to potential credential exposure and unauthorized access to protected documents.

Affected Products

• Artifex Ghostscript versions prior to 10.05.1

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-05-23 - CVE-2025-48708 published to NVD
• 2025-06-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-48708

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-212 (Improper Removal of Sensitive Information Before Storage or Transfer). The core issue lies in the argument sanitization logic within Ghostscript's library context handling code. When processing command-line arguments, the gs_lib_ctx_stash_sanitized_arg function fails to properly sanitize arguments containing the # character.

In typical operation, Ghostscript should strip or mask sensitive information like passwords from internal storage and output documents. However, due to incomplete sanitization logic for the # case, passwords provided during PDF creation operations are inadvertently preserved in cleartext within the resulting PDF document metadata or internal structures.

Root Cause

The root cause is an incomplete sanitization routine in base/gslibctx.c. The gs_lib_ctx_stash_sanitized_arg function was designed to remove or obscure sensitive arguments before they are stored or written to output. However, the implementation failed to account for the # character case, creating a code path where password arguments bypass the sanitization process entirely.

Attack Vector

The attack vector requires local access to exploit. An attacker with access to PDF documents generated by a vulnerable Ghostscript installation could extract cleartext passwords from those documents. This could occur in scenarios where:

1. A user creates password-protected PDFs using Ghostscript
2. The PDF files are shared or stored in accessible locations
3. An attacker retrieves the PDF and extracts the embedded cleartext password
4. The attacker uses the recovered password to access the protected content or potentially reuse the credential elsewhere

The vulnerability manifests during the PDF creation process when password arguments are passed to Ghostscript. Due to missing sanitization for the # character case, these credentials are embedded directly into the output document. For detailed technical analysis, refer to the Ghostscript Bug Report #708446.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48708

Indicators of Compromise

• Presence of cleartext password strings in PDF document metadata or internal structures
• PDF files generated by Ghostscript versions prior to 10.05.1 containing unexpectedly readable password data
• Evidence of gs command execution with password arguments in process logs

Detection Strategies

• Audit systems for Ghostscript installations and verify versions are 10.05.1 or later
• Scan PDF documents generated by Ghostscript for embedded cleartext credentials using PDF analysis tools
• Monitor file system activity for PDF creation operations using vulnerable Ghostscript versions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Implement version tracking for Ghostscript across all systems in the environment
• Review PDF generation workflows to identify any that may have created documents with embedded passwords
• Establish baseline monitoring for document processing applications that utilize Ghostscript

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48708

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Artifex Ghostscript to version 10.05.1 or later immediately
• Identify and review PDF documents created with vulnerable Ghostscript versions for potential credential exposure
• Consider regenerating sensitive PDF documents using the patched version
• Rotate any passwords that may have been embedded in cleartext in affected documents

Patch Information

Artifex has released a patch addressing this vulnerability in Ghostscript version 10.05.1. The fix properly sanitizes the # character case in the gs_lib_ctx_stash_sanitized_arg function to prevent password leakage. The specific commit addressing this issue is available at the Ghostscript Commit b587663.

Workarounds

• Avoid passing passwords directly via command-line arguments to Ghostscript until patched
• Use alternative methods for PDF password protection that do not rely on vulnerable Ghostscript argument handling
• Implement access controls to restrict exposure of PDF documents created with vulnerable versions

# Verify Ghostscript version
gs --version

# If version is below 10.05.1, upgrade immediately
# Example for Debian/Ubuntu systems:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install ghostscript

# Verify the upgrade was successful
gs --version