Editor crash via spell-section integer overflow
Published May 8, 2026 · Updated May 8, 2026
Heap buffer overflow in Vim before 9.2.0450 allows attackers to crash the editor by inducing a crafted spell file to load. In read_compound(), a spell section length overflows signed 32-bit allocation arithmetic, leaving a small heap buffer for a much longer write loop. Exploitation requires UTF-8, a malicious .spl file on the runtimepath, and user-triggered spell loading directly or through an enabled modeline.
Summary
What happened
Heap buffer overflow in Vim before 9.2.0450 allows attackers to crash the editor by inducing a crafted spell file to load. In read_compound(), a spell section length overflows signed 32-bit allocation arithmetic, leaving a small heap buffer for a much longer write loop. Exploitation requires UTF-8, a malicious .spl file on the runtimepath, and user-triggered spell loading directly or through an enabled modeline.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-45130
- Published
- May 8, 2026
- Updated
- May 8, 2026
- Vendor
- Vim
- Product
- Vim
- Classifications
- CWE-122, CWE-190, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 8, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 8, 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=< 9.2.0450
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-q4jv-r9gj-6cwv embedded spell-file PoCproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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