How severe is CVE-2022-48338?

CVE-2022-48338 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2022-48338 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (74th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2022-48338?

CVE-2022-48338 affects Gnu Emacs. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2022-48338?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2022-48338 published?

CVE-2022-48338 was published on 2023-02-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2022-48338

CVE-2022-48338 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Emacs with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-77.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (74th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-77
Affected product: Gnu Emacs
Published: 2023-02-20
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in GNU Emacs through 28.2. In ruby-mode.el, the ruby-find-library-file function has a local command injection vulnerability. The ruby-find-library-file function is an interactive function, and bound to C-c C-f. Inside the function, the external command gem is called through shell-command-to-string, but the feature-name parameters are not escaped. Thus, malicious Ruby source files may cause commands to be executed.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-48338?: An issue was discovered in GNU Emacs through 28.2. In ruby-mode.el, the ruby-find-library-file function has a local command injection vulnerability. The ruby-find-library-file function is an interactive function, and bound to C-c C-f. Inside the function, the external command gem is called through shell-command-to-string, but the feature-name parameters are not escaped. Thus, malicious Ruby source files may cause commands to be executed.
How severe is CVE-2022-48338?: CVE-2022-48338 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2022-48338 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (74th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-48338?: CVE-2022-48338 affects Gnu Emacs. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-48338?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2022-48338 published?: CVE-2022-48338 was published on 2023-02-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:emacs:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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