CVE-2026-52859
Description
A flaw was found in Vim, an open-source command-line text editor. This vulnerability allows a program displaying output in a Vim terminal window to trigger an out-of-bounds write by sending a specific byte sequence. This can lead to a crash of the Vim application, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) for the user.
Statement
This Moderate flaw in Vim allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service. By displaying specially crafted output within a Vim :terminal window, an attacker can trigger an out-of-bounds write, leading to the application crashing. This primarily impacts users who interact with untrusted content or execute untrusted programs within Vim's terminal emulator.
Mitigation
Users should exercise caution when opening untrusted files or executing untrusted programs within vim's `:terminal` window. Avoiding interaction with untrusted content in this context can prevent the exploitation of this vulnerability, which leads to a denial of service.
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 | 5 | 8.2 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Network | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | None | N/A |
| User Interaction | Required | None | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | Low | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Write operations could cause memory corruption. In some cases, an adversary can modify control data such as return addresses in order to execute unexpected code.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Attempting to access out-of-range, invalid, or unauthorized memory could cause the product to crash.
Other
Technical Impact: Unexpected State
Subsequent write operations can produce undefined or unexpected results.
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