Emacs Vulnerability Allows Execution of Arbitrary Commands via Local Variables
CVE-2003-1232

Currently unrated

Key Information:

Vendor: Gnu
Status: Emacs
Vendor: CVE Published:; 31 December 2003

What is CVE-2003-1232?

In Emacs version 21.2.1, there is a security issue where the application fails to prompt users before executing user-defined Lisp code specified in the local variables section of a text file. This oversight enables user-assisted attackers to run arbitrary commands without the user's knowledge. The risk arises from variables like mode-name that could be manipulated. As a result, users may inadvertently expose their systems to potential unauthorized actions when opening specially crafted text files.