CVE-2023-0049Public exploit

Editor crash via malformed statusline value

Published Jan 4, 2023 · Updated Apr 9, 2025

Out-of-bounds read in Vim before 9.0.1143 allows local users to crash the editor through a malformed statusline value. In build_stl_str_hl() in src/buffer.c, the parser advances past the terminating NUL when an unsupported statusline item ends with %0 instead of stopping. Exploitation requires Vim to process and redraw the crafted option in an interactive user session, producing invalid memory access.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.47%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds read in Vim before 9.0.1143 allows local users to crash the editor through a malformed statusline value. In build_stl_str_hl() in src/buffer.c, the parser advances past the terminating NUL when an unsupported statusline item ends with %0 instead of stopping. Exploitation requires Vim to process and redraw the crafted option in an interactive user session, producing invalid memory access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-0049
Published
Jan 4, 2023
Updated
Apr 9, 2025
Vendor
Vim
Product
Vim
Classifications
CWE-125
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 4, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 9, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <9.0.1143

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Vim · Vimversion=unspecified <9.0.1143

Published CVSS scores

7.3@huntrdevCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read

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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