CVE-2023-2491

Command injection via shell-interpreted LaTeX output path

Published May 17, 2023 · Updated Jan 22, 2025

Command injection in Red Hat Emacs builds for RHEL 8.8 and 9.2 allows local users to execute commands through crafted Org-mode code. org-babel-execute:latex in ob-latex.el formats an attacker-influenced output path into a shell mv command, allowing shell metacharacters to introduce commands. Exploitation requires a user to process the crafted Org-mode content, and injected commands run with that user's privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.46%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Command injection in Red Hat Emacs builds for RHEL 8.8 and 9.2 allows local users to execute commands through crafted Org-mode code. org-babel-execute:latex in ob-latex.el formats an attacker-influenced output path into a shell mv command, allowing shell metacharacters to introduce commands. Exploitation requires a user to process the crafted Org-mode content, and injected commands run with that user's privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-2491
Published
May 17, 2023
Updated
Jan 22, 2025
Vendor
The GnuPG Project
Product
GNU Emacs
Classifications
CWE-77, T1203, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 17, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 22, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Affects emacs v26.1-9.el8 and emacs v27.2-8.el9, Fixed in emacs v26.1-10.el8_8.2 and emacs v27.2-8.el9_2.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The GnuPG Project · GNU Emacsversion=Affects emacs v26.1-9.el8 and emacs v27.2-8.el9, Fixed in emacs v26.1-10.el8_8.2 and emacs v27.2-8.el9_2.1

Published CVSS scores

7.8Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-77Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution
T1204.002Malicious File

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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