Editor crash via unchecked specialKeys token expansion
Published Feb 13, 2026 · Updated Feb 13, 2026
Stack buffer overflow in Vim before 9.1.2148 allows remote attackers to crash the editor via a crafted NetBeans specialKeys command. The special_keys() loop in src/netbeans.c expands each attacker-controlled token character into two bytes in the 64-byte keybuf stack buffer without checking its remaining capacity. Vim must be built with +netbeans_intg and a user must connect it to an attacker-controlled or intercepted plaintext NetBeans session; stack corruption can also alter control flow.
Summary
What happened
Stack buffer overflow in Vim before 9.1.2148 allows remote attackers to crash the editor via a crafted NetBeans specialKeys command. The special_keys() loop in src/netbeans.c expands each attacker-controlled token character into two bytes in the 64-byte keybuf stack buffer without checking its remaining capacity. Vim must be built with +netbeans_intg and a user must connect it to an attacker-controlled or intercepted plaintext NetBeans session; stack corruption can also alter control flow.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-26269
- Published
- Feb 13, 2026
- Updated
- Feb 13, 2026
- Vendor
- Vim
- Product
- Vim
- Classifications
- CWE-121, T1203
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 13, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=< 9.1.2148
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GHSA-9w5c-hwr9-hc68 specialKeys proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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
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