# CVE-2017-14482: Code injection in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code by sending crafted emails with malicious enriched text content to GNU Emacs users.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Sep 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DLA-1101-1, DSA-3970-1, DSA-3975-1, GHSA-2v7h-5r83-vh8r, MGASA-2017-0476, RHSA-2017:2771, SUSE-SU-2017:2529-1, SUSE-SU-2017:2532-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2017-14482, USN-3427-1

## What is CVE-2017-14482?

CVE-2017-14482 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 14 Sep 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

GNU Emacs before 25.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via email with crafted "Content-Type: text/enriched" data containing an x-display XML element that specifies execution of shell commands, related to an unsafe text/enriched extension in lisp/textmodes/enriched.el, and unsafe Gnus support for enriched and richtext inline MIME objects in lisp/gnus/mm-view.el. In particular, an Emacs user can be instantly compromised by reading a crafted email message (or Usenet news article).

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-14482?

It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `emacs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-common` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-el` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-filesystem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-nox` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-terminal` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-common` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-el` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-filesystem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-nox` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-terminal` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-common` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-el` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-filesystem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-nox` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-terminal` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-common` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-el` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-filesystem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-nox` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs-terminal` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 1:24.3-20.el7_4 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP2 | All versions | 24.3-25.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | All versions | 24.3-25.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3 | All versions | 22.3-42.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP3-LTSS | All versions | 22.3-42.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP3-TERADATA | All versions | 22.3-42.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 | All versions | 22.3-42.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1-LTSS | All versions | 24.3-25.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 | All versions | 24.3-25.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | All versions | 24.3-25.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12-LTSS | All versions | 24.3-25.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2 | All versions | 24.3-25.3.1 |
| `emacs` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 11 SP4 | All versions | 22.3-42.3.1 |

Products: Debian Debian Linux, Gnu Emacs.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-14482?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2017-14482 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-14482 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-14482 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-14482 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 14 Sep 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-14482 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14482/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14482/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-14482
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-14482
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-14482

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14482/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.