SN2 on compound containing halogen and carbonyl I was given the following question on a sample exam for my organic chemistry course:



I am quite certain that it would happen in a SN2-type reaction considering that

the nucleophile is $\ce{CN-};$
the solvent is DMF.

However, I'm not sure what electrophilic center would be attacked first. I'd appreciate any explanation about why the nucleophile would choose one carbon over the other (if that were the case). The question also states that there are 2 product formed, so could it be possible that an elimination reaction is happening as well?
If it attacks the carbonyl carbon, then you form an unstable tetrahedral intermediate with a negative formal charge on the oxygen. Unless you treat the compound with water so that the oxygen can remove it's formal charge, what will happen is that the reaction goes backwards where the CN group is kicked off.
However, if the CN attacks the Cl group, then you can have a substitution where you get a stable compound finally.