Emacs: emacs: arbitrary code execution in flymake mode
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-96442 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | redhat |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-09-23 11:17:18 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-09-24 20:17:34 UTC |
| Description | A code execution flaw was found in Emacs, affecting versions prior to 31.2. The Flymake mode using language backends other than Lisp would execute arbitrary code from the edited file while performing syntax checking. Viewing or editing untrusted files using Emacs could lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running Emacs. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 7.8 HIGH from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS: 0.001660000 probability, percentile 0.051750000 (date 2026-09-25)
Problem Types: CWE-94 | CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
LocalAttack Complexity
LowPrivileges Required
NoneUser Interaction
RequiredScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
HighIntegrity
HighAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | GNU Emacs | GNU Emacs | affected 31.2 semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Not specified | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Not specified | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Not specified | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Not specified | Not specified |
| CNA | Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Not specified | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| github.com/emacs-mirror/emacs/commit/abc802ee2eb0b1663349ddf22a461f8e54a... | [email protected] | github.com | |
| www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/14/1 | [email protected] | www.openwall.com | |
| bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi | [email protected] | bugzilla.redhat.com | |
| github.com/emacs-mirror/emacs/commit/135e6f63f08fee3d374fa1a5187bce941a2... | [email protected] | github.com | |
| access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-96442 | [email protected] | access.redhat.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
Additional Advisory Data
| Source | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| CNA | 2026-09-21T08:23:15.955Z | Reported to Red Hat. |
| CNA | 2026-09-14T00:00:00.000Z | Made public. |
Workarounds
CNA: To mitigate this issue, users should avoid opening or editing untrusted text files with Emacs. Exercise caution when handling files from unknown or suspicious sources, as interacting with them can lead to arbitrary code execution.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.