# CVE-2026-96269: Code injection in Emacs

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening a malicious file in GNU Emacs due to unsafe symbol handling.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 24 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** ALSA-2026:90887, AZL-103410, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-96269, GHSA-29x7-3q83-3x3v, RLSA-2026:90887, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-96269

## What is CVE-2026-96269?

CVE-2026-96269 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in GNU Emacs, published on 22 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

GNU Emacs 28.1 through 31.1 allows arbitrary code execution upon opening a file, because an untrusted value of read-symbol-shorthands affects the intern and unintern functions. This affects the default configuration; no particular user settings are required to trigger it.

Weakness: CWE-829 (Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-96269?


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `emacs` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:29.4-14.el10_2.4 |
| `emacs-common` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:29.4-14.el10_2.4 |
| `emacs-filesystem` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:29.4-14.el10_2.4 |
| `emacs-lucid` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:29.4-14.el10_2.4 |
| `emacs-nw` | AlmaLinux:10 | All versions | 1:29.4-14.el10_2.4 |
| `emacs` | Rocky Linux:10 | All versions | 1:29.4-14.el10_2.4 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-96269?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-96269 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-96269 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-96269 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-96269 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in GNU Emacs, published on 22 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-96269 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: GNU Emacs. 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-2026-96269/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-96269/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-96269
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96269
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96269

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-96269/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.