# CVE-2026-79992: Emacs TRAMP command injection via malicious filenames

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-79992-emacs-tramp-command-injection-via-malicious-filenames  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-25. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-79992 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2026-08-25

Emacs TRAMP is a subsystem for remotely editing files and accessing remote systems. A local attacker can exploit a command injection flaw by crafting malicious filenames that, when processed by TRAMP, execute arbitrary code on the system. This could allow an attacker with local access to take complete control of the system if a user interacts with the malicious file.

Technologies: [Gnu Emacs](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/emacs). Vendors: [Gnu](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/gnu).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-79992 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-79992 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-79992?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 25 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Gnu Emacs <UNKNOWN>.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-79992?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-79992 attacked?** It is attacked with local access.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-79992?** Check whether you run Gnu Emacs at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is an OS command injection (CWE-78) in Emacs TRAMP's login argument handling. TRAMP concatenates login arguments without proper sanitization before passing them to a local shell, allowing attackers to inject shell metacharacters through specially crafted filenames. The attack requires local access and user interaction—an attacker must trick a user into processing a malicious filename. Successful exploitation leads to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running Emacs. A patch is expected to address this issue by implementing proper input sanitization.

## Affected products

- GNU Emacs <UNKNOWN>

## Timeline

- 2026-08-25: disclosed

## References

- [https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-79992](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-79992)

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