GNU Emacs

Stack-based buffer overflow in emacs allows user-assisted attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly have unspecified other impact via a large precision value in an integer format string specifier to the format function, as demonstrated via a certain "emacs -batch -eval" command line.

GNU Emacs through 28.2 allows attackers to execute commands via shell metacharacters in the name of a source-code file, because lib-src/etags.c uses the system C library function in its implementation of the etags program. For example, a victim may use the "etags -u *" command (suggested in the etags documentation) in a situation where the current working directory has contents that depend on untrusted input.

In Emacs before 29.4, org-link-expand-abbrev in lisp/ol.el expands a %(...) link abbrev even when it specifies an unsafe function, such as shell-command-to-string. This affects Org Mode before 9.7.5.

Untrusted search path vulnerability in EDE in CEDET before 1.0.1, as used in GNU Emacs before 23.4 and other products, allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted Lisp expression in a Project.ede file in the directory, or a parent directory, of an opened file.

GNU Emacs before 25.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via email with crafted "Content-Type: text/enriched" data containing an x-display XML element that specifies execution of shell commands, related to an unsafe text/enriched extension in lisp/textmodes/enriched.el, and unsafe Gnus support for enriched and richtext inline MIME objects in lisp/gnus/mm-view.el. In particular, an Emacs user can be instantly compromised by reading a crafted email message (or Usenet news article).

Emacs 21 allows user-assisted attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via certain crafted images, as demonstrated via a GIF image in vm mode, related to image size calculation.

An issue was discovered in GNU Emacs through 28.2. htmlfontify.el has a command injection vulnerability. In the hfy-istext-command function, the parameter file and parameter srcdir come from external input, and parameters are not escaped. If a file name or directory name contains shell metacharacters, code may be executed.

In Emacs before 29.3, arbitrary Lisp code is evaluated as part of turning on Org mode. This affects Org Mode before 9.6.23.

emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to shell command injections through a crafted mailto: URI. This is related to lack of compliance with the Desktop Entry Specification. It is fixed in 29.0.90

GNU Emacs through 28.2 allows attackers to execute commands via shell metacharacters in the name of a source-code file, because lib-src/etags.c uses the system C library function in its implementation of the ctags program. For example, a victim may use the "ctags *" command (suggested in the ctags documentation) in a situation where the current working directory has contents that depend on untrusted input.

In elisp-mode.el in GNU Emacs before 30.1, a user who chooses to invoke elisp-completion-at-point (for code completion) on untrusted Emacs Lisp source code can trigger unsafe Lisp macro expansion that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. (This unsafe expansion also occurs if a user chooses to enable on-the-fly diagnosis that byte compiles untrusted Emacs Lisp source code.)

emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.

A flaw was found in the Emacs text editor. Processing a specially crafted org-mode code with the "org-babel-execute:latex" function in ob-latex.el can result in arbitrary command execution. This CVE exists because of a CVE-2023-28617 security regression for the emacs package in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2.

Format string vulnerability in the movemail utility in (1) Emacs 20.x, 21.3, and possibly other versions, and (2) XEmacs 21.4 and earlier, allows remote malicious POP3 servers to execute arbitrary code via crafted packets.

Emacs 24.4 allows remote attackers to bypass security restrictions.

An issue was discovered in GNU Emacs through 28.2. In ruby-mode.el, the ruby-find-library-file function has a local command injection vulnerability. The ruby-find-library-file function is an interactive function, and bound to C-c C-f. Inside the function, the external command gem is called through shell-command-to-string, but the feature-name parameters are not escaped. Thus, malicious Ruby source files may cause commands to be executed.

In Emacs before 29.3, Org mode considers contents of remote files to be trusted. This affects Org Mode before 9.6.23.

Emacs: emacs: memory corruption vulnerability when processing svg css

lisp/files.el in Emacs 23.2, 23.3, 23.4, and 24.1 automatically executes eval forms in local-variable sections when the enable-local-variables option is set to :safe, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary Emacs Lisp code via a crafted file.

Emacs 21 and XEmacs automatically load and execute .flc (fast lock) files that are associated with other files that are edited within Emacs, which allows user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary code.

The hack-local-variables function in Emacs before 22.2, when enable-local-variables is set to :safe, does not properly search lists of unsafe or risky variables, which might allow user-assisted attackers to bypass intended restrictions and modify critical program variables via a file containing a Local variables declaration.

In Emacs before 29.3, Gnus treats inline MIME contents as trusted.

GNU Emacs version 25.3.1 (and other versions most likely) ignores umask when creating a backup save file ("[ORIGINAL_FILENAME]~") resulting in files that may be world readable or otherwise accessible in ways not intended by the user running the emacs binary.

Emacs 21.2.1 does not prompt or warn the user before executing Lisp code in the local variables section of a text file, which allows user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary commands, as demonstrated using the mode-name variable.

vcdiff in Emacs 20.7 to 22.1.50, when used with SCCS, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on temporary files.

read-passwd and other Lisp functions in Emacs 20 do not properly clear the history of recently typed keys, which allows an attacker to read unencrypted passwords.

lib-src/movemail.c in movemail in emacs 22 and 23 allows local users to read, modify, or delete arbitrary mailbox files via a symlink attack, related to improper file-permission checks.

emacs/notmuch-mua.el in Notmuch before 0.11.1, when using the Emacs interface, allows user-assisted remote attackers to read arbitrary files via crafted MML tags, which are not properly quoted in an email reply cna cause the files to be attached to the message.

The make-temp-name Lisp function in Emacs 20 creates temporary files with predictable names, which allows attackers to conduct a symlink attack.

lisp/net/tramp-sh.el in GNU Emacs 24.3 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a /tmp/tramp.##### temporary file.

lisp/emacs-lisp/find-gc.el in GNU Emacs 24.3 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file under /tmp/esrc/.

lisp/gnus/gnus-fun.el in GNU Emacs 24.3 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/gnus.face.ppm temporary file.

lisp/net/browse-url.el in GNU Emacs 24.3 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a /tmp/Mosaic.##### temporary file.

In Emacs before 29.3, LaTeX preview is enabled by default for e-mail attachments.

Emacs 20 does not properly set permissions for a slave PTY device when starting a new subprocess, which allows local users to read or modify communications between Emacs and the subprocess.

rcs2log, as used in Emacs 20.4, xemacs 21.1.10 and other versions before 21.4, and possibly other packages, allows local users to modify files of other users via a symlink attack on a temporary file.