CVE-2022-2923

Editor crash via empty spell dictionary

Published Aug 22, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

NULL pointer dereference in Vim before 9.0.0240 allows local users to crash the editor by running :mkspell on an empty dictionary file. sug_filltree() uses null sl_fbyts and sl_fidxs arrays from an empty word tree without first rejecting that tree. The condition requires an empty .dic file and execution of :mkspell, and the demonstrated consequence is termination of the Vim process.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.50%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in Vim before 9.0.0240 allows local users to crash the editor by running :mkspell on an empty dictionary file. sug_filltree() uses null sl_fbyts and sl_fidxs arrays from an empty word tree without first rejecting that tree. The condition requires an empty .dic file and execution of :mkspell, and the demonstrated consequence is termination of the Vim process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2923
Published
Aug 22, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Vim
Product
Vim
Classifications
CWE-476, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 22, 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 <9.0.0240

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Vim · Vimversion=unspecified <9.0.0240

Published CVSS scores

6.6huntr.devCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1204.002Malicious 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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