CVE-2008-3949
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 · uneditedemacs/lisp/progmodes/python.el in Emacs 22.1 and 22.2 imports Python script from the current working directory during editing of a Python file, which allows local users to execute arbitrary code via a Trojan horse Python file.
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 confidenceEmacs 22.1 and 22.2's python.el mode automatically imports Python scripts from the current working directory when editing Python files. This allows a local attacker to place a malicious Python file (with a name matching an imported module) in a directory where a victim is editing a Python file, causing arbitrary code execution when Emacs opens the file.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/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 Emacs versionRun 'emacs --version' or M-x emacs-version inside EmacsAffected if Version is 22.1 or 22.2 (the affected versions)
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Confirm python.el is loaded for Python filesOpen any .py file in Emacs and check the mode (M-x describe-mode). python.el is the default Python mode in Emacs 22.xAffected if The mode shown is python.el (the vulnerable component)
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Identify directories where Python files are editedCheck the working directories where you or your users edit .py files. Look for shared directories, project directories, or directories with weak permissionsAffected if You edit Python files in directories where other users or untrusted processes can write files (enabling placement of malicious modules)
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Check for untrusted Python modules in common edit locationsInspect directories where you frequently edit Python files for unexpected .py files with names matching common Python modules (e.g., os.py, sys.py, random.py, json.py)Affected if Unexpected Python modules exist in these directories that could be imported by python.el
You are affected if you run Emacs 22.1 or 22.2, use python.el mode to edit Python files, and work in directories where untrusted parties can create files with module names.
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 a version where python.el does not import from the current working directory, or modify python.el to remove/secure the import mechanism to prevent execution of untrusted scripts from the cwd.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-3949 — 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 sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-3949 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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