CVE-2014-3422: lisp/emacs-lisp/find-gc.el in GNU Emacs 24.3 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a

Q: How do I fix CVE-2014-3422?

emacs: upgrade to newer than 24.3; mageia: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2014-3422 being exploited?

CVE-2014-3422 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2014-3422 affect?

CVE-2014-3422 affects emacs, mageia. Severity is low (CVSS 3.3). lisp/emacs-lisp/find-gc.el in GNU Emacs 24.3 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file under /tmp/esrc/.

Q: How urgent is CVE-2014-3422?

Priority 19/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Routine

LOW 3.3UPGRADEMITIGATE

CVE-2014-3422 is a low-severity flaw (CVSS 3.3) affecting emacs, mageia. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

lisp/emacs-lisp/find-gc.el in GNU Emacs 24.3 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file under /tmp/esrc/.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	3.3 (Low)
EPSS exploit chance	0.3% (top 72%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-59
Published	2014-05-08
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: gnu · mageia project

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2014-05-08 10:55 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 00:08 UTCUpdated Record last modified

gnu emacs UPGRADE

Affected: <= 24.3 · 20.0 · 20.1 · 20.2 · 20.3 · 20.4 · 20.5 · 20.6

Fixed in: newer than 24.3

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy emacs || rpm -q emacs || emacs --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 24.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade emacs

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade emacs

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

mageia project mageia MITIGATE

Affected: 3 · 4

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 3

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2014-3422?

emacs: upgrade to newer than 24.3; mageia: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2014-3422 being exploited?

CVE-2014-3422 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2014-3422 affect?

CVE-2014-3422 affects emacs, mageia. Severity is low (CVSS 3.3). lisp/emacs-lisp/find-gc.el in GNU Emacs 24.3 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file under /tmp/esrc/.

How urgent is CVE-2014-3422?

Priority 19/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-6861 MEDIUM 6.1 UPGRADE A flaw was found in GNU Emacs
CVE-2024-53920 HIGH 7.8 UPGRADE In elisp-mode.el in GNU Emacs before 30.1, a user who chooses to invoke elisp-completion-at-point (for code co
CVE-2024-39331 CRITICAL 9.8 UPGRADE In Emacs before 29.4, org-link-expand-abbrev in lisp/ol.el expands a %(...) link abbrev even when it specifies
CVE-2024-30205 HIGH 7.1 UPGRADE UPGRADE In Emacs before 29.3, Org mode considers contents of remote files to be trusted
CVE-2024-30204 LOW 2.8 UPGRADE UPGRADE In Emacs before 29.3, LaTeX preview is enabled by default for e-mail attachments.

References

← Back to latest CVEs