GNU Emacs < 31.0.91 Heap Over-Read via PBM/PPM/PGM Image Loader
GNU Emacs before 31.0.91 contains an integer overflow in the PBM/PPM/PGM image loader that allows an attacker to leak heap memory contents by supplying a crafted image with large dimensions and an elevated max color index. The image loader multiplies image dimensions and channel count using signed integer arithmetic; for sufficiently large values, the result wraps to a negative number, bypassing the bounds check and causing the pixel reader to access heap memory past the end of the allocated buffer. The over-read contents are interpreted as pixel color values and rendered on screen.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for help- Published
- Aug 21, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 24, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 7th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-125
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Report tools
Action score
27
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 27 / 40 · 6.9 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · VulnCheck
- 6.9
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
—
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (VulnCheck). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
GNU Emacs
- before 31.0.91affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | emacs | all versions | — |
| openSUSE:Leap 16.0 | emacs | before 30.2-160000.3.1 | 30.2-160000.3.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | emacs | before 27.2-150400.3.31.2 | 27.2-150400.3.31.2 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS | emacs | before 24.3-25.26.1 | 24.3-25.26.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 | emacs | before 30.2-160000.3.1 | 30.2-160000.3.1 |
Same product
gnu: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2007-6109Stack-based buffer overflow in emacs allows user-assisted attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly have unspe41Plan
- CVE-2024-39331In Emacs before 29.4, org-link-expand-abbrev in lisp/ol.el expands a %(...) link abbrev even when it specifies an unsafe function, such as s39Monitor
- CVE-2022-48337GNU Emacs through 28.2 allows attackers to execute commands via shell metacharacters in the name of a source-code file, because lib-src/etag39Monitor
- CVE-2012-0035Untrusted search path vulnerability in EDE in CEDET before 1.0.1, as used in GNU Emacs before 23.4 and other products, allows local users to38Monitor
- CVE-2017-14482GNU Emacs before 25.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via email with crafted "Content-Type: text/enriched" data containing36Monitor
- CVE-2024-53920In 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 L31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GNU Emacs | 31.0.91 | Vendor (CNA) |
| azl3 emacs 29.4-6 on Azure Linux 3.0 | 29.4-6 | Microsoft (MSRC) |
| opensuse:emacs | 30.2-160000.3.1 · openSUSE:Leap 16.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:emacs | 30.2-160000.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
- Tristan Madanifinder
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- P
- Scope
- X
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-125 · Out-of-bounds ReadCVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=81344
- github.com/emacs-mirror/emacs/commit/b07e634e4cf45162ae0178e32092b040587f2c6c
- github.com/emacs-mirror/emacs/releases/tag/emacs-31.0.91
- www.vulncheck.com/advisories/gnu-emacs-heap-over-read-via-pbm-ppm-pgm-image-loader
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.