CVE-2014-3421 Path traversal in n/a

Low 3.3 Published 8 May 2014 Updated 6 Aug 2024

Local attackers can overwrite arbitrary files via symlink attacks on temporary files in GNU Emacs, requiring local access.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Any signed-in user
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is CVE-2014-3421?

CVE-2014-3421 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 8 May 2014. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

lisp/gnus/gnus-fun.el in GNU Emacs 24.3 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/gnus.face.ppm temporary file.

Weakness: CWE-59

Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-3421?

It affects 2 products.

Products include Gnu Emacs, Mageia Project Mageia.

How do I fix CVE-2014-3421?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.

Is CVE-2014-3421 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-3421 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-3v7q-6w55-588c, UBUNTU-CVE-2014-3421.