Editor crash via shift_line integer overflow
Published Nov 16, 2023 · Updated Jun 23, 2026
Integer overflow in shift_line in Vim before 9.0.2112 allows local users to crash the editor with an extremely large shift count. The function multiplies the shift width by the requested amount in an int, allowing the indentation count to exceed INT_MAX before set_indent or change_indent receives it. Triggering the condition requires user interaction in operator-pending mode, and the only documented consequence is an intermittent editor crash.
Summary
What happened
Integer overflow in shift_line in Vim before 9.0.2112 allows local users to crash the editor with an extremely large shift count. The function multiplies the shift width by the requested amount in an int, allowing the indentation count to exceed INT_MAX before set_indent or change_indent receives it. Triggering the condition requires user interaction in operator-pending mode, and the only documented consequence is an intermittent editor crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-48237
- Published
- Nov 16, 2023
- Updated
- Jun 23, 2026
- Vendor
- Vim
- Product
- Vim
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Nov 16, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 23, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 9.0.2112
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo