Lucene search
K

Amazon Linux 2023 : emacs, emacs-common, emacs-devel (ALAS2023-2025-849)

🗓️ 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 11 Views

Amazon Linux 2023 vulnerable due to unsafe macro expansion in GNU Emacs allowing arbitrary code execution.

Related
Refs
Code
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
#
# The descriptive text and package checks in this plugin were
# extracted from Amazon Linux 2023 Security Advisory ALAS2023-2025-849.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(216800);
  script_version("1.2");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2025/09/26");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2024-53920");

  script_name(english:"Amazon Linux 2023 : emacs, emacs-common, emacs-devel (ALAS2023-2025-849)");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The remote Amazon Linux 2023 host is missing a security update.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"It is, therefore, affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the ALAS2023-2025-849 advisory.

    In elisp-mode.el in GNU Emacs through 30.0.92, a user who chooses to invoke elisp-completion-at-point (for
    code completion) on untrusted Emacs Lisp source code can trigger unsafe Lisp macro expansion that allows
    attackers to execute arbitrary code. (This unsafe expansion also occurs if a user chooses to enable on-
    the-fly diagnosis that byte compiles untrusted Emacs Lisp source code.) (CVE-2024-53920)

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the tested product security advisory.

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version
number.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://alas.aws.amazon.com/AL2023/ALAS-2025-849.html");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://alas.aws.amazon.com/cve/html/CVE-2024-53920.html");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://alas.aws.amazon.com/faqs.html");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"Run 'dnf update emacs --releasever 2023.6.20250218' to update your system.");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:OF/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2024-53920");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2024/11/27");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2025/02/12");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2025/02/26");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-common");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-common-debuginfo");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-debuginfo");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-debugsource");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-devel");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-filesystem");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-lucid");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-lucid-debuginfo");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-nox");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-nox-debuginfo");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:amazon:linux:emacs-terminal");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:amazon:linux:2023");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Amazon Linux Local Security Checks");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2025 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/local_checks_enabled", "Host/AmazonLinux/release", "Host/AmazonLinux/rpm-list");

  exit(0);
}

include("rpm.inc");

if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);

var alas_release = get_kb_item("Host/AmazonLinux/release");
if (isnull(alas_release) || !strlen(alas_release)) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, "Amazon Linux");
var os_ver = pregmatch(pattern: "^AL(A|\d+|-\d+)", string:alas_release);
if (isnull(os_ver)) audit(AUDIT_UNKNOWN_APP_VER, "Amazon Linux");
os_ver = os_ver[1];
if (os_ver != "-2023")
{
  if (os_ver == 'A') os_ver = 'AMI';
  audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, "Amazon Linux 2023", "Amazon Linux " + os_ver);
}

if (!get_kb_item("Host/AmazonLinux/rpm-list")) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

var pkgs = [
    {'reference':'emacs-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-common-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-common-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-common-debuginfo-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-common-debuginfo-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-debuginfo-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-debuginfo-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-debugsource-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-debugsource-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-devel-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-devel-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-filesystem-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-lucid-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-lucid-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-lucid-debuginfo-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-lucid-debuginfo-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-nox-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-nox-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-nox-debuginfo-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'aarch64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-nox-debuginfo-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'cpu':'x86_64', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE},
    {'reference':'emacs-terminal-28.2-3.amzn2023.0.9', 'release':'AL-2023', 'rpm_spec_vers_cmp':TRUE}
];

var flag = 0;
foreach var package_array ( pkgs ) {
  var reference = NULL;
  var _release = NULL;
  var sp = NULL;
  var _cpu = NULL;
  var el_string = NULL;
  var rpm_spec_vers_cmp = NULL;
  var epoch = NULL;
  var allowmaj = NULL;
  var exists_check = NULL;
  var cves = NULL;
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['reference'])) reference = package_array['reference'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['release'])) _release = package_array['release'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['sp'])) sp = package_array['sp'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['cpu'])) _cpu = package_array['cpu'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['el_string'])) el_string = package_array['el_string'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['rpm_spec_vers_cmp'])) rpm_spec_vers_cmp = package_array['rpm_spec_vers_cmp'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['epoch'])) epoch = package_array['epoch'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['allowmaj'])) allowmaj = package_array['allowmaj'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['exists_check'])) exists_check = package_array['exists_check'];
  if (!empty_or_null(package_array['cves'])) cves = package_array['cves'];
  if (reference && _release && (!exists_check || rpm_exists(release:_release, rpm:exists_check))) {
    if (rpm_check(release:_release, sp:sp, cpu:_cpu, reference:reference, epoch:epoch, el_string:el_string, rpm_spec_vers_cmp:rpm_spec_vers_cmp, allowmaj:allowmaj, cves:cves)) flag++;
  }
}

if (flag)
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_HOLE,
      extra      : rpm_report_get()
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  var tested = pkg_tests_get();
  if (tested) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_AFFECTED, tested);
  else audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_INSTALLED, "emacs / emacs-common / emacs-common-debuginfo / etc");
}

Data

Build on a solid foundation with Vulners data

We provide the essential building blocks for cybersecurity solutions with comprehensive, structured, and constantly updated vulnerability and exploits data

Api

Power your application with Vulners API

The Vulners REST API offers reliable, high-performance access to vulnerability intelligence, with 99.9% SLA uptime and CDN-backed data delivery for seamless global access

App

Assess and manage vulnerabilities with Vulners tools

Built on top of Vulners' database and SDK, end-user solutions give security professionals and developers lightweight and powerful tools for vulnerability remediation

26 Sep 2025 00:00Current
8High risk
Vulners AI Score8
CVSS 3.17.8
EPSS0.00526
SSVC
11