CVE-2025-27835 is a buffer overflow vulnerability identified in Artifex Ghostscript, a widely used interpreter for PostScript and PDF files, specifically in versions prior to 10.05.0. The vulnerability arises in the psi/zbfont.c source file during the conversion process of glyphs to Unicode characters. This buffer overflow is classified under CWE-120, indicating a classic memory corruption issue where data exceeding buffer boundaries can overwrite adjacent memory. The vulnerability can be exploited locally without requiring privileges (AV:L), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but it does require user interaction (UI:R), such as opening or processing a crafted document. The impact is severe, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H), potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code, crash the application, or escalate privileges. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the high CVSS score of 7.8 reflects the significant risk posed by this vulnerability. Ghostscript is commonly integrated into document processing pipelines, printing services, and PDF rendering applications, making this vulnerability relevant to many environments that handle PostScript or PDF files. The absence of patch links suggests that remediation involves upgrading to version 10.05.0 or later, where the issue is fixed.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-27835 can be substantial, especially in sectors relying heavily on document processing, printing, and publishing workflows that utilize Ghostscript. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, data leakage, or denial of service, compromising sensitive information and disrupting business operations. Industries such as legal, financial services, government agencies, and media companies are particularly vulnerable due to their frequent handling of complex document formats. Additionally, organizations using Ghostscript in automated document conversion or printing servers may face operational downtime or data integrity issues. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering could be vectors for exploitation, increasing the risk in environments with less stringent user awareness. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits following public disclosure.

To mitigate CVE-2025-27835, European organizations should prioritize upgrading Artifex Ghostscript to version 10.05.0 or later, where the vulnerability is resolved. Until upgrades are applied, organizations should implement strict input validation and sanitization for all documents processed by Ghostscript to reduce the risk of malicious payloads. Employ sandboxing or containerization techniques to isolate Ghostscript processes, limiting the potential impact of exploitation. Monitoring and logging usage of Ghostscript can help detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. User training to recognize suspicious documents and avoid opening untrusted files is critical due to the required user interaction for exploitation. Additionally, organizations should review and restrict permissions of Ghostscript processes to minimize privilege escalation risks. Regular vulnerability scanning and patch management processes should be enforced to ensure timely updates.