CVE-2026-73072
Description
A heap buffer overflow in Vim allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code. The flaw is triggered by processing a specially crafted spell file, where the set_sofo() function fails to reset internal data between sections, leading to an out-of-bounds write.
Statement
A local attacker can exploit an Important heap buffer overflow in Vim to execute arbitrary code by tricking a user into loading a malicious spell file.
Mitigation
If spell checking is unused, disable it with set nospell in ~/.vimrc and do not set spelllang. If spell is required, load only trusted .spl files from Vim’s spell directories and do not place untrusted spell files on runtimepath. Additionally, consider disabling modelines (set nomodeline in ~/.vimrc) to prevent untrusted text files from automatically overriding these settings when opened.
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 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | 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:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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