# CVE-2022-48338: Command injection in n/a

> Attackers can execute arbitrary commands via malicious Ruby source files in GNU Emacs due to unescaped parameters in ruby-mode.el.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Feb 2023
- **Updated:** 18 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-13681, DEBIAN-CVE-2022-48338, GHSA-hm6m-2xg8-mc5q, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-48338

## What is CVE-2022-48338?

CVE-2022-48338 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 20 Feb 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An issue was discovered in GNU Emacs through 28.2. In ruby-mode.el, the ruby-find-library-file function has a local command injection vulnerability. The ruby-find-library-file function is an interactive function, and bound to C-c C-f. Inside the function, the external command gem is called through shell-command-to-string, but the feature-name parameters are not escaped. Thus, malicious Ruby source files may cause commands to be executed.

Weakness: CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-48338?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gnu Emacs.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-48338?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-48338 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-48338 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2007-6109](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-6109/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-39331](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-39331/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-53920](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53920/): Code injection in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2024-30202](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-30202/): Code injection in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2023-2491](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2491/): Command injection in emacs (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-48338 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-48338 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 20 Feb 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-48338 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2022-48338/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48338/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-48338
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-48338
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-48338

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-48338/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.