# CVE-2024-53920: Code injection in n/a > Attackers can execute arbitrary code by tricking users into completing or diagnosing untrusted Emacs Lisp source code in GNU Emacs. - **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 27 Nov 2024 - **Updated:** 21 Sep 2026 - **Also known as:** ALSA-2025:11030, ALSA-2025:4787, ALSA-2025:9448, AZL-53558, AZL-53703, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-53920, GHSA-8737-h7fg-9xgj, MGASA-2024-0397, OESA-2025-2760, RHSA-2025:11030, RHSA-2025:4787, RHSA-2025:4793, RHSA-2025:4794, RHSA-2025:9448, RLSA-2025:11030, RLSA-2025:4787, RLSA-2025:9448, SUSE-SU-2024:4392-1, SUSE-SU-2025:0798-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-53920, openSUSE-SU-2024:14591-1 ## What is CVE-2024-53920? CVE-2024-53920 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 27 Nov 2024. 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 In elisp-mode.el in GNU Emacs before 30.1, a user who chooses to invoke elisp-completion-at-point (for code completion) on untrusted Emacs Lisp source code can trigger unsafe Lisp macro expansion that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. (This unsafe expansion also occurs if a user chooses to enable on-the-fly diagnosis that byte compiles untrusted Emacs Lisp source code.) Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-53920? It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `emacs` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-common` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-lucid` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-nox` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-terminal` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-common` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs-common` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-filesystem` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs-filesystem` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-lucid` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs-lucid` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-nox` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs-nox` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-common` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-common-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-lucid` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-lucid-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-nox` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-nox-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-terminal` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs-filesystem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 1:26.1-15.el8_10 | | `emacs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-common` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs-common` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-common-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs-common-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-filesystem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | | `emacs-filesystem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-14.el9_6.2 | | `emacs-lucid` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 1:27.2-11.el9_5.2 | Products: Gnu Emacs. ## How do I fix CVE-2024-53920? Upgrade to a fixed version. ## Is CVE-2024-53920 being exploited? It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-53920 exists. ## 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-2024-30202](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) - [CVE-2023-27985](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-27985/): emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to shell command injections through a crafted mailto: URI. (high 7.8) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2024-53920 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2024-53920 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 27 Nov 2024. 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: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-53920 exists. 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-2024-53920/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53920/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-53920 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-53920 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-53920 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53920/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.