Emacs 21.2.1 does not prompt or warn the user before executing Lisp code in the local…
Priority LOW 29Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- — Not recorded in CVSS 2.0
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Partial · Partial · Partial
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 2.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
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.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.03014 87th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2003-1232
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-7vjq-vrv9-8wc8
References
Advisory 1
Other 2
- http://groups.google.com/group/gnu.emacs.bug/browse_frm/thread/9424ec1b2fdae321/c691a2da8904db0f?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dguninski%2Bemacs%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3Dmailman.763.1041357806.19936.bug-gnu-emacs%2540gnu.org%26rnum%3D1#c691a2da8904db0f
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=286183
More GNU Emacs vulnerabilities
- TI-2024-36089 In elisp-mode.el in GNU Emacs before 30.1, a user who chooses to invoke… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
- TI-2023-12576 emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
- TI-2022-23951 GNU Emacs through 28.2 allows attackers to execute commands via shell metacharacters in… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-26287 In Emacs before 29.4, org-link-expand-abbrev in lisp/ol.el expands a %(...) link abbrev… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2007-05829 Stack-based buffer overflow in emacs allows user-assisted attackers to cause a denial of… CVSS 2.0HIGH 10.0
- TI-2017-10588 GNU Emacs before 25.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via email with… CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.8
Sources
- CVE-2003-1232 · CVE Program
- CVE-2003-1232 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7vjq-vrv9-8wc8 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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