CVE-2022-2208Public exploit

Editor crash via invalid diff window buffer

Published Jun 27, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

A NULL pointer dereference in Vim before 8.2.5163 allows local users to crash the editor by deleting buffers in diff mode. The diff_buf_delete function redraws diff windows immediately after clearing a buffer slot, and diff_redraw then dereferences a window whose buffer is no longer valid. Exploitation requires an interactive Vim session in diff mode and a crafted buffer-deletion sequence; the bounded consequence is termination of that editor process.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.37%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A NULL pointer dereference in Vim before 8.2.5163 allows local users to crash the editor by deleting buffers in diff mode. The diff_buf_delete function redraws diff windows immediately after clearing a buffer slot, and diff_redraw then dereferences a window whose buffer is no longer valid. Exploitation requires an interactive Vim session in diff mode and a crafted buffer-deletion sequence; the bounded consequence is termination of that editor process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2208
Published
Jun 27, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Vim
Product
Vim
Classifications
CWE-476
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 27, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <8.2.5163

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Vim · Vimversion=unspecified <8.2.5163

Published CVSS scores

7.8huntr.devCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.3NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference

Public exploit references

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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