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HighVulnerabilityupdated 28 Oct 2026, 12:45 UTC

GNU Emacs: local attacker can run arbitrary code

A flaw in the Emacs text editor could let someone who already has a login on the computer run their own commands with the same rights as the user. It does not let attackers in from the internet directly.

Official source
SeverityHighVulnerability
Being exploited?UnclearNo reports either way yet
Fix available?UnclearNo fixed version published in the sources yet
How sure is this?Official sourceBacked by an official source

How the attack works simplified

  1. 1Local accessAttacker already has a login on the machine
  2. 2Emacs flawCrafted input triggers the vulnerability in Emacs
  3. 3Code runsAttacker's arbitrary code executes with user rights
  4. ResultAttacker runs code as the local user

What happened

Multiple vulnerabilities in GNU Emacs, including one in its TRAMP remote-file component, allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Why it is dangerous: Anyone with local access to a system running a vulnerable Emacs version could gain code execution, which may be used to escalate actions on the affected machine.

Are you affected?

You are affected if you run a vulnerable GNU Emacs version (including its TRAMP component) on a system where untrusted local users may act.

GNU Emacs (versions not specified in the material); GNU Emacs TRAMP component

What to do

  1. Check your installed GNU Emacs version and update to the latest release from your distribution or GNU
  2. Check the CERT-Bund advisory for the exact fixed version number
  3. Restrict local access to systems where Emacs is used

Timeline

  1. 26 Oct 2026, 11:44 UTC
    Publicly disclosed
  2. 26 Oct 2026, 11:44 UTC
    Reported by CERT-Bund (BSI) · CERT-Bund (BSI)
  3. 26 Oct 2026, 11:45 UTC
    Reported by CERT-Bund (BSI) · CERT-Bund (BSI)
  4. 26 Oct 2026, 11:49 UTC
    Picked up by Zero Radar
  5. 28 Oct 2026, 12:40 UTC
    Reported by CERT-Bund (BSI) · CERT-Bund (BSI)
  6. 28 Oct 2026, 12:45 UTC
    Severity raised to high

Sources 3 reports, oldest first

Official vendor, government CERT or advisory database

Technical details

ID
ZR-16631031 · ZR-c79c5c5a · ZR-b6026291
Disclosed
26 Oct 2026, 11:44 UTC
On Zero Radar
26 Oct 2026, 11:49 UTC (5 min after disclosure)
Last change
28 Oct 2026, 12:45 UTC

The plain-language parts and the attack diagram were written by an AI model (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5) from the sources above. Facts like versions, exploitation and dates come from the sources themselves. How Zero Radar works

GNU Emacs: local attacker can run arbitrary code · Zero Radar