CVE-2023-27986
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections...
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.
- Record
CVE-2023-27986- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-94
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.
- Record
CVE-2023-27986- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-94
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-31712
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.
- Record
EUVD-2023-31712- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-whwp-m746-hx6w
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections...
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters.
- Record
GHSA-whwp-m746-hx6w- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-94
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2023-27986
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.
- Record
ALPINE-CVE-2023-27986- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSVAZL-25603
CVE-2023-27986 affecting package emacs for versions less than 28.2-4
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.
- Record
AZL-25603- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Show 4 moreShow less
OSV
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.
- Record
CVE-2023-27986- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2023-27986
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2023-27986- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2023-27986
emacsclient-mail.desktop in Emacs 28.1 through 28.2 is vulnerable to Emacs Lisp code injections through a crafted mailto: URI with unescaped double-quote characters. It is fixed in 29.0.90.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2023-27986- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:12777-1 No score
emacs-28.2-3.1 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the emacs-28.2-3.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:12777-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
emacsAlpine:v3.17 |
28.1 up to 28.2-r3 | 28.2-r3 |
emacsAlpine:v3.18 |
28.1 up to 28.2-r6 | 28.2-r6 |
emacsAlpine:v3.19 |
28.1 up to 28.2-r6 | 28.2-r6 |
emacsAlpine:v3.20 |
28.1 up to 28.2-r6 | 28.2-r6 |
emacsAlpine:v3.21 |
28.1 up to 28.2-r6 | 28.2-r6 |
emacsAlpine:v3.22 |
28.1 up to 28.2-r6 | 28.2-r6 |
emacsAlpine:v3.23 |
28.1 up to 28.2-r6 | 28.2-r6 |
emacsAlpine:v3.24 |
28.1 up to 28.2-r6 | 28.2-r6 |
emacsAzure Linux:2 |
before 28.2-4 | 28.2-4 |
emacsDebian:12 |
before 1:28.2+1-13 | 1:28.2+1-13 |
Show 19 moreShow less
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
emacsDebian:13 |
before 1:28.2+1-13 | 1:28.2+1-13 |
emacsDebian:14 |
before 1:28.2+1-13 | 1:28.2+1-13 |
xemacs21Ubuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 21.4.22-4ubuntu321.4.22-14ubuntu1 |
None known |
xemacs21-packagesUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2009.02.17.dfsg.2-2 |
None known |
xemacs21Ubuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 21.4.24-4ubuntu121.4.24-5ubuntu1 |
None known |
xemacs21-packagesUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2009.02.17.dfsg.2-4 |
None known |
xemacs21Ubuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 21.4.24-8build121.4.24-9 |
None known |
xemacs21-packagesUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2009.02.17.dfsg.2-42009.02.17.dfsg.2-5 |
None known |
xemacs21Ubuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 21.4.24-9ubuntu2 |
None known |
xemacs21-packagesUbuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2009.02.17.dfsg.2-5 |
None known |
xemacs21Ubuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 21.4.24-1221.4.24-12build221.4.24-12build3 |
None known |
xemacs21-packagesUbuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2009.02.17.dfsg.3-22009.02.17.dfsg.3-3 |
None known |
xemacs21Ubuntu:25.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 21.4.24-12build3 |
None known |
xemacs21-packagesUbuntu:25.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 2009.02.17.dfsg.3-3 |
None known |
xemacs21Ubuntu:26.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 21.4.24-12build3 |
None known |
xemacs21-packagesUbuntu:26.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 2009.02.17.dfsg.3-3build1 |
None known |
xemacs21Ubuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 21.4.24-12build3 |
None known |
xemacs21-packagesUbuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2009.02.17.dfsg.3-32009.02.17.dfsg.3-3build1 |
None known |
emacsopenSUSE:Tumbleweed |
before 28.2-3.1 | 28.2-3.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, aliases, references | OSV | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-27986 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Gnu Emacs, published March 9, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.47%, the 40th percentile. Fixed in emacs 28.2-r3.
References
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/03/08/2
git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/commit?h=emacs-29&id=3c1693d08b0a71d40a77e7b40c0ebc42dca2d2cc
gabriel.urdhr.fr/2023/06/08/emacsclient-mail-shell-elisp-injections
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-27986
github.com/advisories/GHSA-whwp-m746-hx6w