CVE-2024-53920: emacs · Code Injection
Affects emacsSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High : upgrade to 30.1 soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 48% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 30.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 27 Nov 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade the Debian debian/emacs package to 30.1.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Debiandebian/emacspkg:deb/debian/emacsOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
- Upgrade GNU Emacs to version 30.1 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed.
- Avoid invoking elisp-completion-at-point or enabling on-the-fly diagnosis features on untrusted Emacs Lisp source code.
- Implement strict policies to restrict the opening or byte-compiling of untrusted Lisp code within Emacs environments.
- Educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted Emacs Lisp code and enforce best practices for code review and source verification.
- Use sandboxing or containerization techniques to isolate Emacs sessions when working with potentially untrusted code.
- Monitor and audit Emacs usage logs to detect unusual activity related to Lisp code completion or compilation.
- Employ endpoint protection solutions that can detect suspicious behavior resulting from code execution within Emacs processes.
- Limit local user privileges to reduce the impact of potential exploitation.
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.)
References
- git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tree/ChangeLog.4 (opens in a new tab)
- git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tag/?h=emacs-30.0.92 (opens in a new tab)
- eshelyaron.com/posts/2024-11-27-emacs-aritrary-code-execution-and-how-to-avoid-it.html (opens in a new tab)
- yhetil.org/emacs/CAFXAjY5f4YfHAtZur1RAqH34UbYU56_t6t2Er0YEh1Sb7-W=hg@mail.gmail.com/ (opens in a new tab)
- news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42256409 (opens in a new tab)
- git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tree/etc/NEWS?h=emacs-30.1 (opens in a new tab)
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/02/msg00033.html (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/20/3 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/20/7 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/14/1 (opens in a new tab)
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/21/9 (opens in a new tab)