CVE-2024-39331: In Emacs before 29.4, org-link-expand-abbrev in lisp/ol.el expands a %(...) link abbrev even when it specifies

Q: How do I fix CVE-2024-39331?

emacs: upgrade to 29.4. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2024-39331 being exploited?

CVE-2024-39331 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-2024-39331 affect?

CVE-2024-39331 affects emacs. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). In Emacs before 29.4, org-link-expand-abbrev in lisp/ol.el expands a %(...) link abbrev even when it specifies an unsafe function, such as shell-command-to-string. This affects Org Mode before 9.7.5.

Q: How urgent is CVE-2024-39331?

Priority 57/100. Critical severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

This month

CRITICAL 9.8REMOTEUPGRADE

CVE-2024-39331 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting emacs. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

In Emacs before 29.4, org-link-expand-abbrev in lisp/ol.el expands a %(...) link abbrev even when it specifies an unsafe function, such as shell-command-to-string. This affects Org Mode before 9.7.5.

Why this priority

Critical severity
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	9.8 (Critical)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	1.3% (top 29%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-94
Published	2024-06-23
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: gnu

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2024-06-23 22:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 07:41 UTCUpdated Record last modified

gnu emacs UPGRADE

Affected: < 29.4

Fixed in: 29.4

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

2. UPGRADE to 29.4 (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.

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-2024-39331?

emacs: upgrade to 29.4. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2024-39331 being exploited?

CVE-2024-39331 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-2024-39331 affect?

CVE-2024-39331 affects emacs. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). In Emacs before 29.4, org-link-expand-abbrev in lisp/ol.el expands a %(...) link abbrev even when it specifies an unsafe function, such as shell-command-to-string. This affects Org Mode before 9.7.5.

How urgent is CVE-2024-39331?

Priority 57/100. Critical severity; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

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-2024-30205 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.
CVE-2024-30203 MEDIUM 5.5 UPGRADE UPGRADE In Emacs before 29.3, Gnus treats inline MIME contents as trusted.

References

← Back to latest CVEs