CVE-2025-7462 is a vulnerability identified in Artifex GhostPDL, a widely used interpreter for PostScript and PDF files, specifically affecting versions up to commit 3989415a5b8e99b9d1b87cc9902bde9b7cdea145. The issue resides in the pdf_ferror function within the file devices/vector/gdevpdf.c, part of the New Output File Open Error Handler component. The vulnerability manifests as a null pointer dereference triggered by improper handling of output file errors, which can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication but does require user interaction, such as opening a crafted document. This leads to a crash of the GhostPDL process, resulting in denial of service conditions. The CVSS v4.0 score is 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no confidentiality or integrity impact, but limited availability impact. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but a patch identified by commit 619a106ba4c4abed95110f84d5efcd7aee38c7cb is available to remediate the issue. GhostPDL is commonly integrated into printing systems, document viewers, and conversion tools, making this vulnerability relevant for environments processing PostScript or PDF files.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-7462 is the potential for denial of service in systems relying on GhostPDL for document rendering or printing workflows. This could disrupt business operations, especially in sectors with high document processing demands such as publishing, legal, finance, and government services. While the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, availability interruptions could lead to operational delays and increased support costs. Organizations using automated document processing pipelines or print servers that incorporate GhostPDL are at risk of service outages if exploited. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate the risk, particularly in environments where user interaction with untrusted documents is common. The medium severity rating suggests moderate urgency for patching, but organizations with critical printing or document services should prioritize remediation to maintain service continuity.

Organizations should promptly apply the patch identified by commit 619a106ba4c4abed95110f84d5efcd7aee38c7cb to all affected GhostPDL instances. Beyond patching, it is advisable to implement strict input validation and filtering on documents processed by GhostPDL to reduce exposure to crafted malicious files. Deploy application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques for document processing applications to contain potential crashes and prevent cascading failures. Monitor logs and system behavior for signs of unexpected GhostPDL crashes or service interruptions that may indicate exploitation attempts. Educate users to avoid opening untrusted or suspicious PostScript or PDF files, especially from unknown sources. For environments with high document throughput, consider redundancy and failover mechanisms for printing and document rendering services to minimize downtime. Regularly update and audit all components in the document processing chain to ensure no other dependencies are vulnerable.