#VU64505 Out-of-bounds read in Vim - CVE-2022-1851

Vulnerability identifier: #VU64505

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 5.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2022-1851

CWE-ID: CWE-125

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Vim
Client/Desktop applications / Software for system administration

Vendor: Vim.org

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to illegal memory access and leads to an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the gchar_cursor() function. A local attacker can trick the victim into opening a specially crafted file, leading to a system crash or code execution.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Vim: before 8.2.5013, 8.2.5013

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External links
https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/78d52883e10d71f23ab72a3d8b9733b00da8c9ad
https://huntr.dev/bounties/f8af901a-9a46-440d-942a-8f815b59394d
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2091676

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.