Editor crash via out-of-range search address
Published Oct 15, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024
Heap-based buffer overflow in Vim before 8.2.3489 allows local users to crash the editor by opening a crafted file. The get_address function in src/ex_docmd.c assigns a search-derived line number to the cursor without capping it to the buffer line count, causing later access outside the heap buffer. Exploitation requires a user to open or source attacker-controlled Vim commands containing an invalid search range; the documented consequence is an editor crash.
Summary
What happened
Heap-based buffer overflow in Vim before 8.2.3489 allows local users to crash the editor by opening a crafted file. The get_address function in src/ex_docmd.c assigns a search-derived line number to the cursor without capping it to the buffer line count, causing later access outside the heap buffer. Exploitation requires a user to open or source attacker-controlled Vim commands containing an invalid search range; the documented consequence is an editor crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-3875
- Published
- Oct 15, 2021
- Updated
- Aug 3, 2024
- Vendor
- Vim
- Product
- Vim
- Classifications
- CWE-787, CWE-122, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 15, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <8.2.3489
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Vim invalid-range regression triggerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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