Memory corruption via substitute-time undo
Published May 27, 2022 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Out-of-bounds write in Vim before 8.2.5023 allows local users to corrupt memory by running a crafted substitute expression. During expression replacement, vim_regsub_both() sizes an output buffer before a callback can invoke undo and change the text later copied into that allocation. Execution requires a local user to run the crafted expression; the overwrite can crash Vim or corrupt process memory.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds write in Vim before 8.2.5023 allows local users to corrupt memory by running a crafted substitute expression. During expression replacement, vim_regsub_both() sizes an output buffer before a callback can invoke undo and change the text later copied into that allocation. Execution requires a local user to run the crafted expression; the overwrite can crash Vim or corrupt process memory.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-1897
- Published
- May 27, 2022
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Vim
- Product
- Vim
- Classifications
- CWE-787, T1203
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 27, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record 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
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.
Public exploit references
- huntr proof of concept for CVE-2022-1897proof of concept · unverified
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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