Re: Warn about shell-expansion in the docstring of org-latex-to-html-convert-command

[Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net>]

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Max Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com> writes:

>> Attaching tentative patch that fixes the problem.
>
> I think it is in the right direction.
> - Manual needs update as well.
> - I would explicitly stress that quotes causes undefined or even 
> dangerous behavior. See e.g. the last paragraph
> https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ar01s07.html

I have incorporated the above suggestions into the attached version of
the patch.


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From 5dbe4457d0d938e8830888bc3ac58d6a43136558 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
Message-ID: <5dbe4457d0d938e8830888bc3ac58d6a43136558.1711873441.git.yantar92@posteo.net>
From: Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net>
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2024 14:05:12 +0300
Subject: [PATCH] org-latex-to-mathml/html-convert-command: Prevent shell
 expansion

* lisp/org.el (org-create-math-formula):
(org-format-latex-as-html): Shell-quote LaTeX fragment text when
replacing %i placeholder.  This prevents shell expansion of
$... and similar constructs inside the code.
(org-latex-to-mathml-convert-command):
(org-latex-to-html-convert-command): Update the docstring.
* etc/ORG-NEWS (~org-latex-to-mathml-convert-command~ and
~org-latex-to-html-convert-command~ shell-escape LaTeX code): Announce
the breaking change.
* doc/org-manual.org (LaTeX math snippets): Update example.

Reported-by: Max Nikulin <manikulin@gmail.com>
Link: https://orgmode.org/list/735645dd-1ddf-4579-a6dd-2700f3e83c94@gmail.com
---
 doc/org-manual.org |  2 +-
 etc/ORG-NEWS       | 10 ++++++++++
 lisp/org.el        | 21 ++++++++++-----------
 3 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/org-manual.org b/doc/org-manual.org
index c4f62644f..acc4512a5 100644
--- a/doc/org-manual.org
+++ b/doc/org-manual.org
@@ -15176,7 +15176,7 @@ **** LaTeX math snippets
 
   #+begin_src emacs-lisp
   (setq org-latex-to-mathml-convert-command
-        "latexmlmath \"%i\" --presentationmathml=%o")
+        "latexmlmath %i --presentationmathml=%o")
   #+end_src
 
   To quickly verify the reliability of the LaTeX-to-MathML
diff --git a/etc/ORG-NEWS b/etc/ORG-NEWS
index ee2cdfd16..739c3a43b 100644
--- a/etc/ORG-NEWS
+++ b/etc/ORG-NEWS
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ Please send Org bug reports to mailto:emacs-orgmode@gnu.org.
 
 * Version 9.7 (not released yet)
 ** Important announcements and breaking changes
+*** ~org-latex-to-mathml-convert-command~ and ~org-latex-to-html-convert-command~ shell-escape LaTeX code
+
+Previously, ~org-latex-to-mathml-convert-command~ and
+~org-latex-to-html-convert-command~ replaced %i placeholders with raw
+LaTeX fragment text, potentially triggering shell-expansion.
+
+Now, the %i placeholders are shell-escaped to prevent shell expansion.
+
+The existing customizations that assume no shell-escaping must be updated.
+
 *** Built-in HTML, LaTeX, Man, Markdown, ODT, and Texinfo exporters preserve the link protocol during export
 
 Previously, some link types where not exported as =protocol:uri= but
diff --git a/lisp/org.el b/lisp/org.el
index f3fae134d..f56767a1a 100644
--- a/lisp/org.el
+++ b/lisp/org.el
@@ -3266,7 +3266,9 @@ (defcustom org-latex-to-mathml-convert-command nil
 %j:     Executable file in fully expanded form as specified by
         `org-latex-to-mathml-jar-file'.
 %I:     Input LaTeX file in fully expanded form.
-%i:     The latex fragment to be converted.
+%i:     Shell-escaped LaTeX fragment to be converted.
+        It must not be used inside a quoted argument, the result of %i
+        expansion inside a quoted argument is undefined.
 %o:     Output MathML file.
 
 This command is used by `org-create-math-formula'.
@@ -3275,7 +3277,7 @@ (defcustom org-latex-to-mathml-convert-command nil
 \"java -jar %j -unicode -force -df %o %I\".
 
 When using LaTeXML set this option to
-\"latexmlmath \"%i\" --presentationmathml=%o\"."
+\"latexmlmath %i --presentationmathml=%o\"."
   :group 'org-latex
   :version "24.1"
   :type '(choice
@@ -3288,15 +3290,12 @@ (defcustom org-latex-to-html-convert-command nil
 directly replace the LaTeX fragment in the resulting HTML.
 Replace format-specifiers in the command as noted below and use
 `shell-command' to convert LaTeX to HTML.
-%i:     The LaTeX fragment to be converted.
+%i:     The LaTeX fragment to be converted (shell-escaped).
+        It must not be used inside a quoted argument, the result of %i
+        expansion inside a quoted argument is undefined.
 
 For example, this could be used with LaTeXML as
-\"latexmlc \\='literal:%i\\=' --profile=math --preload=siunitx.sty 2>/dev/null\".
-
-The LaTeX fragment is replaced as is, without escaping special shell
-syntax.  It may be necessary to use single-quotes around \\='%i\\=', not
-double-quotes.  Else a math fragment such as \"$y = 200$\" may be
-expanded to \" = 200\"."
+\"latexmlc literal:%i --profile=math --preload=siunitx.sty 2>/dev/null\"."
   :group 'org-latex
   :package-version '(Org . "9.4")
   :type '(choice
@@ -16332,7 +16331,7 @@ (defun org-create-math-formula (latex-frag &optional mathml-file)
 			      (expand-file-name
 			       org-latex-to-mathml-jar-file))))
 		 (?I . ,(shell-quote-argument tmp-in-file))
-		 (?i . ,latex-frag)
+		 (?i . ,(shell-quote-argument latex-frag))
 		 (?o . ,(shell-quote-argument tmp-out-file)))))
 	 mathml shell-command-output)
     (when (called-interactively-p 'any)
@@ -16400,7 +16399,7 @@ (defun org-format-latex-as-html (latex-fragment)
   "Convert LATEX-FRAGMENT to HTML.
 This uses  `org-latex-to-html-convert-command', which see."
   (let ((cmd (format-spec org-latex-to-html-convert-command
-			  `((?i . ,latex-fragment)))))
+			  `((?i . ,(shell-quote-argument latex-fragment))))))
     (message "Running %s" cmd)
     (shell-command-to-string cmd)))
 
-- 
2.44.0


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-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
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