CVE-2022-2889

Editor crash via prematurely freed split expression

Published Aug 19, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Use-after-free in Vim before 9.0.0225 allows attackers to crash the editor when a crafted Vim9 script is processed. The expression evaluator frees command-line storage while split-expression and lambda parsing still retain pointers into that storage. Triggering the stale reference requires user interaction with attacker-supplied script content and corrupts memory within the Vim process.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.53%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Vim before 9.0.0225 allows attackers to crash the editor when a crafted Vim9 script is processed. The expression evaluator frees command-line storage while split-expression and lambda parsing still retain pointers into that storage. Triggering the stale reference requires user interaction with attacker-supplied script content and corrupts memory within the Vim process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2889
Published
Aug 19, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Vim
Product
Vim
Classifications
CWE-416, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 19, 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 <9.0.0225

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Vim · Vimversion=unspecified <9.0.0225

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8huntr.devCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1204.002User Execution: Malicious File

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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