Denial of service in Vim

1) Use-after-free

EUVDB-ID: #VU80502

Risk: Low

CVSSv3.1: 3.8 [CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L/E:U/RL:O/RC:C]

CVE-ID: CVE-2023-4733

CWE-ID: CWE-416 - Use After Free

Exploit availability: No

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to crash the application.

The vulnerability exists due to a use-after-free error within the do_ecmd() function in ex_cmds.c. A remote attacker can trick the victim to open a specially crafted file and crash the application.

Mitigation

Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Vim: 9.0.0000 - 9.0.1839

External links

http://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v9.0.1840
http://github.com/vim/vim/commit/e1dc9a627536304bc4f738c21e909ad9fcf3974c
http://huntr.dev/bounties/1ce1fd8c-050a-4373-8004-b35b61590217

Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

How the attacker can exploit this vulnerability?

The attacker would have to trick the victim to visit a specially crafted website or open a file.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

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