In elisp-mode.el in GNU Emacs before 30.1, a user who chooses to invoke…
Priority HIGH 75CWE-94Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 8 fixed, 2 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-94.
Summary
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.)
Why it matters now
Exploitation Proof of concept CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.006 48th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Red Hat: 6 advisoriesRed Hat: 8 fixed, 2 without a fix
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
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
Red Hat 6 advisories
- RHSA-2025:11487 Released 2025-07-21 · Red Hat rating ImportantA Subscription Management tool for finding and reporting Red Hat product usage
- Red Hat Discovery 2 registry.redhat.io/discovery/discovery-server-rhel9
- RHSA-2025:11030 Released 2025-07-15 · Red Hat rating Moderateemacs security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) emacs-1:26.1-15.el8_10, emacs-common-1:26.1-15.el8_10, emacs-lucid-1:26.1-15.el8_10 +2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) emacs-1:26.1-15.el8_10, emacs-filesystem-1:26.1-15.el8_10
- RHSA-2025:9448 Released 2025-06-24 · Red Hat rating Moderateemacs security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) emacs-1:27.2-14.el9_6.2, emacs-common-1:27.2-14.el9_6.2, emacs-filesystem-1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 +2
Show 3 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2025:4793 Released 2025-05-12 · Red Hat rating Moderateemacs security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.4) emacs-1:27.2-10.el9_4.2, emacs-common-1:27.2-10.el9_4.2, emacs-filesystem-1:27.2-10.el9_4.2 +2
- RHSA-2025:4794 Released 2025-05-12 · Red Hat rating Moderateemacs security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.2) emacs-1:27.2-8.el9_2.3, emacs-common-1:27.2-8.el9_2.3, emacs-filesystem-1:27.2-8.el9_2.3 +2
- RHSA-2025:4787 Released 2025-05-12 · Red Hat rating Moderateemacs security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) emacs-1:27.2-11.el9_5.2, emacs-common-1:27.2-11.el9_5.2, emacs-filesystem-1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 +2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Discovery 2 | Fixed | RHSA-2025:11487 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) | Fixed | — |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:11030 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:4787, RHSA-2025:9448 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.2) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:4794 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.4) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:4793 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) | Fixed | — |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2025:11030 |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Discovery 2
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2024-53920
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8737-h7fg-9xgj
- 2026-10-18 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10), Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) · Red Hat
References
Advisory 1
Other 5
- https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tree/ChangeLog.4
- https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tag/?h=emacs-30.0.92
- https://yhetil.org/emacs/CAFXAjY5f4YfHAtZur1RAqH34UbYU56_t6t2Er0YEh1Sb7-W=hg@mail.gmail.com/
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42256409
- https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tree/etc/NEWS?h=emacs-30.1
More GNU Emacs vulnerabilities
- 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
- TI-2012-00034 Untrusted search path vulnerability in EDE in CEDET before 1.0.1, as used in GNU Emacs… CVSS 2.0HIGH 9.3
Sources
- CVE-2024-53920 · CVE Program
- CVE-2024-53920 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-8737-h7fg-9xgj · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2024-53920 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences