NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2022-45939: GNU Emacs through 28.2 allows attackers to execute commands via shell metacharacters in the name of a source-code file, because lib-src/etag

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)

The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.66% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 51.4% of all records.
Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
Fixed version: emacs (AlmaLinux:8) 1:26.1-9.el8; emacs-common (AlmaLinux:8) 1:26.1-9.el8; emacs-filesystem (AlmaLinux:8) 1:26.1-9.el8.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to emacs (AlmaLinux:8) 1:26.1-9.el8; emacs-common (AlmaLinux:8) 1:26.1-9.el8; emacs-filesystem (AlmaLinux:8) 1:26.1-9.el8 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

GNU Emacs through 28.2 allows attackers to execute commands via shell metacharacters in the name of a source-code file, because lib-src/etags.c uses the system C library function in its implementation of the ctags program. For example, a victim may use the "ctags *" command (suggested in the ctags documentation) in a situation where the current working directory has contents that depend on untrusted input.

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Published: Nov 28, 2022
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
EPSS: 0.6% · 51th percentile
CWE: CWE-78

Report tools

JSON

Action score

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS: 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV: 0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS: 0 / 30 · 0.6%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation: none
Automatable: no
Technical impact: total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Get told when this record changes

Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
No public exploit code on record
A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens

Is your version affected? Check it

Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

We use this product, ask for help

Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

Vendor	Product	CPE
gnu	emacs	cpe:2.3:a:gnu:emacs
debian	debian linux	cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux
fedoraproject	fedora	cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

debian debian linux10.0
debian debian linux11.0
fedoraproject fedora36
fedoraproject fedora37
gnu emacsup to 28.2 inclusive

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

Ecosystem	Package	Affected range	Fix
AlmaLinux:8	emacs	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
AlmaLinux:8	emacs-common	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
AlmaLinux:8	emacs-filesystem	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
AlmaLinux:8	emacs-lucid	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
AlmaLinux:8	emacs-nox	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
AlmaLinux:8	emacs-terminal	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
AlmaLinux:9	emacs	before 1:27.2-8.el9	1:27.2-8.el9
AlmaLinux:9	emacs-common	before 1:27.2-8.el9	1:27.2-8.el9
AlmaLinux:9	emacs-filesystem	before 1:27.2-8.el9	1:27.2-8.el9
AlmaLinux:9	emacs-lucid	before 1:27.2-8.el9	1:27.2-8.el9
AlmaLinux:9	emacs-nox	before 1:27.2-8.el9	1:27.2-8.el9
Debian:10	emacs	before 1:26.1+1-3.2+deb10u3	1:26.1+1-3.2+deb10u3
Debian:11	emacs	before 1:27.1+1-3.1+deb11u1	1:27.1+1-3.1+deb11u1
Debian:12	emacs	before 1:28.2+1-8	1:28.2+1-8
Debian:12	xemacs21	before 21.4.24-11	21.4.24-11
openSUSE:Leap 15.3	emacs	before 25.3-150000.3.12.1	25.3-150000.3.12.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.4	emacs	before 27.2-150400.3.3.1	27.2-150400.3.3.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweed	emacs	before 28.2-1.1	28.2-1.1
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream	emacs	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream	emacs-common	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream	emacs-common-debuginfo	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream	emacs-debuginfo	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream	emacs-debugsource	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream	emacs-lucid	before 1:26.1-9.el8	1:26.1-9.el8

+29

Same product

gnu: all records

Other 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 unspe
41Plan
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 s
39Monitor
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/etag
39Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

← EarlierCVE-2017-14482Sep 14, 2017 · GNU Emacs before 25.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via email with crafted "Content-Type: text/enriched" data containing
36Monitor
← EarlierCVE-2017-1000383Oct 31, 2017 · GNU Emacs version 25.3.1 (and other versions most likely) ignores umask when creating a backup save file ("[ORIGINAL_FILENAME]~") resulting
22Monitor
Later →CVE-2022-48338Feb 20, 2023 · An issue was discovered in GNU Emacs through 28.2.
29Monitor

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
almalinux:emacs	1:27.2-8.el9 · AlmaLinux:9	Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:emacs-common	1:27.2-8.el9 · AlmaLinux:9	Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:emacs-filesystem	1:27.2-8.el9 · AlmaLinux:9	Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:emacs-lucid	1:27.2-8.el9 · AlmaLinux:9	Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:emacs-nox	1:27.2-8.el9 · AlmaLinux:9	Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:emacs-terminal	1:26.1-9.el8 · AlmaLinux:8	Package registry (OSV)
debian:emacs	1:28.2+1-8 · Debian:12	Package registry (OSV)
debian:xemacs21	21.4.24-11 · Debian:12	Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:emacs	27.2-150400.3.3.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.4	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-common	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-common-debuginfo	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-debuginfo	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-debugsource	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-filesystem	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-lucid	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-lucid-debuginfo	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-nox	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-nox-debuginfo	1:27.2-8.el9 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
red hat:emacs-terminal	1:26.1-9.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream	Package registry (OSV)
suse:emacs	27.2-150400.3.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP4	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.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

git.savannah.gnu.orgpatch

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

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.
A user must open a link or visit a page.
No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality: high · data can be read
Integrity: high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability: high · the service can be disrupted

Attack vector: Local
Attack complexity: Low
Privileges required: None
User interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality impact: High
Integrity impact: High
Availability impact: High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-78 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Root cause

User input is inserted as text into a shell command. The shell may interpret special characters in the input as part of the command.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-78 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

1const host = req.body.host;
2exec("ping -c 1 " + host, onResult);

Fixed

1const host = req.body.host;
2if (!/^[a-z0-9.-]{1,253}$/i.test(host)) return res.sendStatus(400);
3execFile("ping", ["-c", "1", host], onResult);

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✗ → ✓Sep 28, 2026, 10:45 PM UTC

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/commit/?id=d48bb4874bc6cd3e69c7a15fc3c91cc141025c51

Show all references (4 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records