CVE-2007-5795
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe hack-local-variables function in Emacs before 22.2, when enable-local-variables is set to :safe, does not properly search lists of unsafe or risky variables, which might allow user-assisted attackers to bypass intended restrictions and modify critical program variables via a file containing a Local variables declaration.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe hack-local-variables function in Emacs versions prior to 22.2 fails to properly check against lists of unsafe or risky variables when enable-local-variables is set to :safe mode. This allows user-assisted attackers to craft files with Local Variables declarations that can modify critical program variables, bypassing intended security restrictions.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 22.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed Emacs versionRun 'emacs --version' or 'M-x emacs-version' inside Emacs to display the version numberAffected if Version is 22.1 or earlier (any version <= 22.1 is affected)
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Verify enable-local-variables settingCheck your Emacs configuration (init.el, .emacs, or custom-set-variables) for any line containing 'enable-local-variables'. Alternatively, evaluate '(default-value 'enable-local-variables)' in EmacsAffected if The setting is explicitly set to ':safe' or remains at its default value while using a vulnerable Emacs version
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Inspect for Local Variables in filesOpen a file and inspect the last few lines for a Local Variables section (lines starting with 'Local Variables:' and ending with 'End:'). Alternatively, run 'M-x normal-mode' or 'M-x hack-local-variables' and check what variables are being setAffected if Files contain Local Variables declarations that could set variables to arbitrary values, especially when combined with vulnerable Emacs version and :safe mode
You are affected if running Emacs version 22.1 or earlier AND enable-local-variables is set to :safe (or default) while opening untrusted files with Local Variables sections
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade Emacs to version 22.2 or later where the vulnerability has been patched. Alternatively, avoid setting enable-local-variables to :safe and ensure proper file vetting before opening locally-modified files.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2007-5795 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sources- bugs.debian.org
- bugs.gentoo.org
- cvs.savannah.gnu.org
- docs.info.apple.com
- lists.apple.com
- osvdb.org
- secunia.com
- secunia.com
- secunia.com
- secunia.com
- secunia.com
- security.gentoo.org
- www.mandriva.com
- www.securityfocus.com
- www.ubuntu.com
- www.vupen.com
- www.vupen.com
- exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com
- www.redhat.com
- nvd.nist.gov
Practitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2007-5795 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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