Arbitrary file overwrite via prefixed path traversal
Published Apr 6, 2026 · Updated Apr 6, 2026
Path traversal in Vim before 9.2.0280 allows attackers to overwrite arbitrary files by inducing a user to edit a crafted ZIP member. The zip.vim plugin's zip#Extract check rejects only member paths beginning with ../, so a dummy leading directory conceals traversal that remains after path normalization. Overwrite occurs only after the user opens the archive, selects and edits the malicious member, and runs :w; filesystem permissions bound the writable targets.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in Vim before 9.2.0280 allows attackers to overwrite arbitrary files by inducing a user to edit a crafted ZIP member. The zip.vim plugin's zip#Extract check rejects only member paths beginning with ../, so a dummy leading directory conceals traversal that remains after path normalization. Overwrite occurs only after the user opens the archive, selects and edits the malicious member, and runs :w; filesystem permissions bound the writable targets.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-35177
- Published
- Apr 6, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 6, 2026
- Vendor
- Vim
- Product
- Vim
- Classifications
- CWE-22, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 6, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 6, 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=< 9.2.0280
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
- Upstream evil.zip regression sampleproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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