CVE-2026-51401
Description
A flaw was found in Vim. A local attacker could exploit a vulnerability in the vms_fixfilename() function, allowing them to execute arbitrary code on the system. This could lead to a complete compromise of the affected system.
Statement
Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Fedora build Vim against the POSIX/Linux platform layer (os_unix.c). The vulnerable function, vms_fixfilename(), is defined in os_vms.c, which provides OpenVMS-specific support and is never compiled into Red Hat's or Fedora's Vim packages. As a result, none of Red Hat's shipped Vim builds contain the affected code path.
Mitigation
No mitigation is required. Red Hat does not ship any product containing the vulnerable code path - the affected function is confined to Vim's OpenVMS platform support, which is not included in Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Fedora builds.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.8 | N/A | 7.7 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Execution of arbitrary code in the context of usage of the resources with dangerous names.
Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Read Application Data; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Crash of the consumer code of these resources resulting in information leakage or denial of service.
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