Emacs: OS Command Injection (CVE-2025-1244) #shorts

Summary

In today's episode, we explore CVE-2025-1244, a critical vulnerability affecting the widely used text editor Emacs. This flaw, discovered in early 2025, poses significant risks by allowing remote, unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands on vulnerable systems.

Product details

Emacs, a popular and extensible text editor renowned for its robust feature set, is at the center of this vulnerability. The affected versions include those running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions 6 to 9, with reports also referencing SUSE distributions in their security advisories. Users of these systems should stay vigilant and consider upcoming updates or patches.

Vulnerability type summary

The problem lies in the 'Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command,' commonly referred to as an OS Command Injection. This type of vulnerability allows malicious actors to execute unintended commands on a host operating system through crafted inputs.

Details of the vulnerability

The vulnerability involves a command injection flaw within Emacs, specifically in handling the 'man' URI schemes. Exploitation occurs when users are coaxed into visiting maliciously crafted websites or redirected via HTTP URLs, resulting in the execution of arbitrary shell commands with potentially elevated privileges. Security advisories from vendors like SUSE have highlighted these risks and issued relevant patches and updates.

Conclusion

Given the seriousness of CVE-2025-1244, it's imperative for Emacs users and systems administrators running vulnerable systems to urgently address this issue. Regularly updating software, applying patches, and being cautious about untrusted links can help mitigate potential attacks. Stay tuned to your security vendors' advisories for updated guidance and solutions.

Watch the full video on YouTube: CVE-2025-1244

Remediation and exploitation details

This chain involves the following actors

This following systems are involved

Attack entry point

Remediation actions

Exploitation actions

CVE database technical details

CVE ID

CVE-2025-1244

Description

A command injection flaw was found in the text editor Emacs. It could allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary shell commands on a vulnerable system. Exploitation is possible by tricking users into visiting a specially crafted website or an HTTP URL with a redirect.

Provider

redhat

CWE / problem types

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

Affected Software Versions

None:None:[{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '29.4.0', 'versionType': 'semver'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Extended Lifecycle Support:[{'version': '1:24.3-23.el7_9.2', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8:[{'version': '1:26.1-13.el8_10', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8:[{'version': '1:26.1-13.el8_10', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support:[{'version': '1:26.1-5.el8_2.3', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support:[{'version': '1:26.1-5.el8_4.3', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service:[{'version': '1:26.1-5.el8_4.3', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions:[{'version': '1:26.1-5.el8_4.3', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support:[{'version': '1:26.1-7.el8_6.6', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Telecommunications Update Service:[{'version': '1:26.1-7.el8_6.6', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Update Services for SAP Solutions:[{'version': '1:26.1-7.el8_6.6', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support:[{'version': '1:26.1-10.el8_8.7', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9:[{'version': '1:27.2-11.el9_5.1', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Update Services for SAP Solutions:[{'version': '1:27.2-6.el9_0.2', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support:[{'version': '1:27.2-8.el9_2.2', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.4 Extended Update Support:[{'version': '1:27.2-10.el9_4.1', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Builds for Red Hat OpenShift 1.3.2:[{'version': 'sha256:8bb5f5d121a135ddd3c3038167b2bed668efe4f2d2c69a6e7e1bb5671c9e3043', 'lessThan': '*', 'versionType': 'rpm', 'status': 'unaffected'}],Red Hat:Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6:None

Date Published

2025-02-12T14:27:45.707Z

Last Updated

2025-04-28T15:50:44.262Z