CVE-2026-73073
Description
A flaw was found in Vim, an open-source command-line text editor. An attacker could craft a malicious tags file that, when processed by Vim's C omni-completion feature, leads to insufficient escaping of input. This vulnerability allows for the execution of arbitrary Ex commands and, subsequently, operating-system commands on the user's system. Successful exploitation requires a user to open a C file from an attacker-controlled tree and invoke C omni-completion on a member access whose type is resolved from the malicious tags file.
Statement
This is an Important vulnerability in Vim where a local attacker could achieve arbitrary command execution. By crafting a malicious tags file and enticing a user to open a C file from an untrusted source and invoke C omni-completion, the attacker could execute arbitrary commands in the context of the user running Vim. This is considered Important due to the potential for full user-level compromise, despite requiring specific user interaction and a crafted file.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, users should avoid opening C source files from untrusted sources, especially when accompanied by untrusted tags files. Exercise caution when invoking C omni-completion (CTRL-X CTRL-O) on files from unknown or suspicious origins.
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).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality,Integrity,Availability,Non-Repudiation
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; Read Files or Directories; Modify Files or Directories; Read Application Data; Modify Application Data; Hide Activities
Attackers could execute unauthorized operating system commands, which could then be used to disable the product, or read and modify data for which the attacker does not have permissions to access directly. Since the targeted application is directly executing the commands instead of the attacker, any malicious activities may appear to come from the application or the application's owner.
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