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Vulnerability record · CVE-2024-53920 · published 27 November 2024

CVE-2024-53920: Gnu emacs code injection vulnerability

Gnu · Emacs

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.)

7.8 CVSS 3.1 High EPSS 0.60% · top 53.4% CWE-94 · Code injection
7.8CVSS 3.1 base score
0.60%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
1Affected product versions listed by NVD
11References
21 Sep 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

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.)

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

1 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.

References

LinkTags
https://eshelyaron.com/posts/2024-11-27-emacs-aritrary-code-execution-and-how-to-avoid-it.html Third Party Advisory
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tag/?h=emacs-30.0.92 Product
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tree/ChangeLog.4 Release Notes
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tree/etc/NEWS?h=emacs-30.1 Product
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42256409 Issue Tracking
https://yhetil.org/emacs/CAFXAjY5f4YfHAtZur1RAqH34UbYU56_t6t2Er0YEh1Sb7-W=hg@mail.gmail.com/ Mailing List
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/20/3
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/20/7
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/14/1
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/21/9
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/02/msg00033.html

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Related vulnerabilities

Same products first, then exploited flaws of the same weakness class.

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Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2024-53920), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-27). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.