RHSA-2002:211

Vulnerability from csaf_redhat - Published: 2002-10-10 20:23 - Updated: 2025-11-21 17:25
Summary
Red Hat Security Advisory: ggv security update
Severity
Important
Notes
Topic: Updated packages for gv, ggv, and kdegraphics fix a local buffer overflow when reading malformed PDF or PostScript files. [Updated 07 Jan 2003] Added fixed packages for the Itanium (IA64) architecture. [Updated 06 Feb 2003] Added fixed packages for Advanced Workstation 2.1
Details: Gv and ggv are user interfaces for the Ghostscript PostScript(R) interpreter used to display PostScript and PDF documents on an X Window System. KGhostview is the PostScript viewer for the K Desktop Environment. Zen Parse found a local buffer overflow in gv version 3.5.8 and earlier. An attacker can create a carefully crafted malformed PDF or PostScript file in such a way that when that file is viewed arbitrary commands can be executed. ggv and kghostview contain code derived from gv and therefore have the same vulnerability. All users of gv, ggv, and kghostview are advised to upgrade to the errata packages which contain patches to correct the vulnerability.
Terms of Use: This content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). If you distribute this content, or a modified version of it, you must provide attribution to Red Hat Inc. and provide a link to the original.
CVE-2002-0838

Buffer overflow in (1) gv 3.5.8 and earlier, (2) gvv 1.0.2 and earlier, (3) ggv 1.99.90 and earlier, (4) gnome-gv, and (5) kghostview in kdegraphics 2.2.2 and earlier, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed (a) PDF or (b) PostScript file, which is processed by an unsafe call to sscanf.

Affected products
Product Identifier Version Remediation
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (Advanced Server) version 2.1
Red Hat / Red Hat Advanced Products
 cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:2.1::as —
Vendor Fix fix
Red Hat Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1
Red Hat / Red Hat Advanced Products
 cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:2.1::aw —
Vendor Fix fix
References
To clipboard 

{
  "document": {
    "aggregate_severity": {
      "namespace": "https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/",
      "text": "Important"
    },
    "category": "csaf_security_advisory",
    "csaf_version": "2.0",
    "distribution": {
      "text": "Copyright \u00a9 Red Hat, Inc. All rights reserved.",
      "tlp": {
        "label": "WHITE",
        "url": "https://www.first.org/tlp/"
      }
    },
    "lang": "en",
    "notes": [
      {
        "category": "summary",
        "text": "Updated packages for gv, ggv, and kdegraphics fix a local buffer overflow\nwhen reading malformed PDF or PostScript files.\n\n[Updated 07 Jan 2003]\nAdded fixed packages for the Itanium (IA64) architecture.\n\n[Updated 06 Feb 2003]\nAdded fixed packages for Advanced Workstation 2.1",
        "title": "Topic"
      },
      {
        "category": "general",
        "text": "Gv and ggv are user interfaces for the Ghostscript PostScript(R)\ninterpreter used to display PostScript and PDF documents on an X Window\nSystem. KGhostview is the PostScript viewer for the K Desktop Environment.\n\nZen Parse found a local buffer overflow in gv version 3.5.8 and earlier. \nAn attacker can create a carefully crafted malformed PDF or PostScript file\nin such a way that when that file is viewed arbitrary commands can be executed.\n\nggv and kghostview contain code derived from gv and therefore have the same\nvulnerability.\n\nAll users of gv, ggv, and kghostview are advised to upgrade to the errata\npackages which contain patches to correct the vulnerability.",
        "title": "Details"
      },
      {
        "category": "legal_disclaimer",
        "text": "This content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). If you distribute this content, or a modified version of it, you must provide attribution to Red Hat Inc. and provide a link to the original.",
        "title": "Terms of Use"
      }
    ],
    "publisher": {
      "category": "vendor",
      "contact_details": "https://access.redhat.com/security/team/contact/",
      "issuing_authority": "Red Hat Product Security is responsible for vulnerability handling across all Red Hat products and services.",
      "name": "Red Hat Product Security",
      "namespace": "https://www.redhat.com"
    },
    "references": [
      {
        "category": "self",
        "summary": "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2002:211",
        "url": "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2002:211"
      },
      {
        "category": "external",
        "summary": "https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/#important",
        "url": "https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/#important"
      },
      {
        "category": "external",
        "summary": "http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=bugtraq\u0026m=103305778615625\u0026w=2",
        "url": "http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=bugtraq\u0026m=103305778615625\u0026w=2"
      },
      {
        "category": "self",
        "summary": "Canonical URL",
        "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/advisories/2002/rhsa-2002_211.json"
      }
    ],
    "title": "Red Hat Security Advisory: ggv security update",
    "tracking": {
      "current_release_date": "2025-11-21T17:25:07+00:00",
      "generator": {
        "date": "2025-11-21T17:25:07+00:00",
        "engine": {
          "name": "Red Hat SDEngine",
          "version": "4.6.12"
        }
      },
      "id": "RHSA-2002:211",
      "initial_release_date": "2002-10-10T20:23:00+00:00",
      "revision_history": [
        {
          "date": "2002-10-10T20:23:00+00:00",
          "number": "1",
          "summary": "Initial version"
        },
        {
          "date": "2002-09-25T00:00:00+00:00",
          "number": "2",
          "summary": "Last updated version"
        },
        {
          "date": "2025-11-21T17:25:07+00:00",
          "number": "3",
          "summary": "Last generated version"
        }
      ],
      "status": "final",
      "version": "3"
    }
  },
  "product_tree": {
    "branches": [
      {
        "branches": [
          {
            "branches": [
              {
                "category": "product_name",
                "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (Advanced Server) version 2.1 ",
                "product": {
                  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (Advanced Server) version 2.1 ",
                  "product_id": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (Advanced Server) version 2.1 ",
                  "product_identification_helper": {
                    "cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:2.1::as"
                  }
                }
              },
              {
                "category": "product_name",
                "name": "Red Hat Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1",
                "product": {
                  "name": "Red Hat Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1",
                  "product_id": "Red Hat Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1",
                  "product_identification_helper": {
                    "cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:2.1::aw"
                  }
                }
              }
            ],
            "category": "product_family",
            "name": "Red Hat Advanced Products"
          }
        ],
        "category": "vendor",
        "name": "Red Hat"
      }
    ]
  },
  "vulnerabilities": [
    {
      "cve": "CVE-2002-0838",
      "ids": [
        {
          "system_name": "Red Hat Bugzilla ID",
          "text": "1616821"
        }
      ],
      "notes": [
        {
          "category": "description",
          "text": "Buffer overflow in (1) gv 3.5.8 and earlier, (2) gvv 1.0.2 and earlier, (3) ggv 1.99.90 and earlier, (4) gnome-gv, and (5) kghostview in kdegraphics 2.2.2 and earlier, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed (a) PDF or (b) PostScript file, which is processed by an unsafe call to sscanf.",
          "title": "Vulnerability description"
        },
        {
          "category": "summary",
          "text": "security flaw",
          "title": "Vulnerability summary"
        }
      ],
      "product_status": {
        "fixed": [
          "Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (Advanced Server) version 2.1 ",
          "Red Hat Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1"
        ]
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "category": "self",
          "summary": "Canonical URL",
          "url": "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2002-0838"
        },
        {
          "category": "external",
          "summary": "RHBZ#1616821",
          "url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1616821"
        },
        {
          "category": "external",
          "summary": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2002-0838",
          "url": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2002-0838"
        },
        {
          "category": "external",
          "summary": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2002-0838",
          "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2002-0838"
        }
      ],
      "release_date": "2002-09-26T00:00:00+00:00",
      "remediations": [
        {
          "category": "vendor_fix",
          "date": "2002-10-10T20:23:00+00:00",
          "details": "Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata\nrelevant to your system have been applied.\n\nThis update is available via Red Hat Network. To use Red Hat Network,\nlaunch the Red Hat Update Agent with the following command:\n\nup2date\n\nThis will start an interactive process that will result in the appropriate\nRPMs being upgraded on your system.",
          "product_ids": [
            "Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (Advanced Server) version 2.1 ",
            "Red Hat Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1"
          ],
          "restart_required": {
            "category": "none"
          },
          "url": "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2002:211"
        }
      ],
      "title": "security flaw"
    }
  ]
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.




Drag nodes to arrange them. Double-click a related vulnerability to open it, or a source to visit its link. The Physics button on the left tunes the layout and the simulation; the legend at the bottom left hides or shows nodes by kind and by sighting type.

Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Vulnerability timeline

Sightings and recorded dates, grouped by day · UTC

JSON
How durations are calculated

Following the VTEM framework (Black Hat USA 2015), time to patch starts when the vendor or a coordinator was informed, total time to patch at discovery, and disclosure to patch at public disclosure; vendor response time runs from the report to its acknowledgement. Time to exploit and time unpatched start at the earliest discovery or report, falling back to public disclosure. Unpatched time ends at the first recorded patch, or the calculation time when no patch is recorded. Exploitation to patch shows the interval between those two events; a published proof of concept is a public exploit, not exploitation.

Each result shows its source dates. A negative interval means the end event came first; when date-only inputs leave the order open, the result says so. Date-only inputs are approximate. The earliest evidence wins: KEV report dates and sightings are labelled as such. Records describing another vulnerability are listed but never calculated from, and a PoC alone does not establish exploitation. Missing patch evidence does not prove that no patch exists. Filters below change the event list only.

Loading timeline…




    Related by attack behaviour

    Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.