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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-52860High confidence

Vim: Arbitrary Code Execution via Python Omni-Completion

vim · vim

Official source articles: GitHub GHSA-65P9-MWWX-7468 ↗ · GitHub GHSA-52MC-RQ6P-RC7C ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.

7.5HighCVSS 4.0
Recommended action
Patch only the product branches with a verified fix

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 1 structured product or package state remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Fix availability varies by product
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:High, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • EPSS is 0.22% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs vim vim and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 30 daysRemediation target: Within 180 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Cross-source reconciliation

Remediation availability differs by product scope

Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 1 structured product or package state remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Distribution package intelligence

Release-specific package status

Alpine, Debian, ubuntu findings are scoped to the named distribution, release and source package. An absent finding does not mean a package is unaffected.

6 package states
Package result overrides the generic status

BlackTree has verified remediation for at least one product or source, but the relevant distribution still reports no fixed package for 1 affected package state shown here. Treat those rows as affected with no fix until that distribution publishes a fixed version.

Repository candidate not checked

A published vendor fix does not prove that a matching update is enabled and installable on a particular asset. Confirm the local package candidate before scheduling remediation.

Distribution releaseSource packageVendor stateFixed versionEvidence
Alpine v3.23v3.23 · mainvimVendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.9.2.0602-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 3 Nov 2026
Debian trixietrixie · sourcevimVendor fix publishedDebian records a fixed source-package version for this release.2:9.1.1230-2+deb13u1Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 4 Nov 2026
Debian bookwormbookworm · sourcevimAffected, no fix publishedDebian currently tracks this release as open.Not published in this feedDebian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 4 Nov 2026
Debian forkyforky · sourcevimVendor fix publishedDebian records a fixed source-package version for this release.2:9.2.0782-1Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 4 Nov 2026
Debian sidsid · sourcevimVendor fix publishedDebian records a fixed source-package version for this release.2:9.2.0782-1Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 4 Nov 2026
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSnoble · standard archivevimVendor fix publishedCanonical reports that a fixed source package version has been published. Repository candidate availability is not checked by BlackTree.2:9.1.0016-1ubuntu7.16Canonical Ubuntu Security ↗Source updated 4 Nov 2026
Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
CVE-2026-52860 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securityvim: Vim: Arbitrary code execution through Python omni-completion.
6 known affected

The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.

  • vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Summary
A flaw was found in Vim, an open-source command-line text editor. The Python omni-completion feature executes reconstructed function and class definitions from the current buffer. A remote attacker can exploit this by crafting a hostile buffer, leading to the execution of attacker-controlled Python expressions during omni-completion. This vulnerability can result in arbitrary code execution.
Remediation
For details on how to apply this update, which includes the changes described in this advisory, refer to: https://images.redhat.com/
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-36285

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to version 9.2.0597, Vim's Python omni-completion executes reconstructed function and class definitions from the current buffer with exec() as part of populating the completion dictionary. Python evaluates function default values, parameter annotations, and class base expressions at definition time, so a hostile buffer can execute attacker-controlled Python expressions during omni-completion. The existing g:pythoncomplete_allow_import mitigation (GHSA-52mc-rq6p-rc7c) does not cover this path, because the attacker-controlled code is not a harvested import/from statement. This issue has been patched in version 9.2.0597.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
7.5 · CVSS 4.0
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionPatch only the product branches with a verified fix

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 1 structured product or package state remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Fix availability varies by product
01

What, why and how

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to version 9.2.0597, Vim's Python omni-completion executes reconstructed function and class definitions from the current buffer with exec() as part of populating the completion dictionary. Python evaluates function default values, parameter annotations, and class base expressions at definition time, so a hostile buffer can execute attacker-controlled Python expressions during omni-completion. The existing g:pythoncomplete_allow_import mitigation (GHSA-52mc-rq6p-rc7c) does not cover this path, because the attacker-controlled code is not a harvested import/from statement. This issue has been patched in version 9.2.0597.

What

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to version 9.2.0597, Vim's Python omni-completion executes reconstructed function and class definitions from the current buffer with exec() as part of populating the completion dictionary. Python evaluates function default values, parameter annotations, and class base expressions at definition time, so a hostile buffer can execute attacker-controlled Python expressions during omni-completion. The existing g:pythoncomplete_allow_import mitigation (GHSA-52mc-rq6p-rc7c) does not cover this path, because the attacker-controlled code is not a harvested import/from statement. This issue has been patched in version 9.2.0597.

Why

Untrusted data can cross into a code-evaluation path and be interpreted as executable instructions.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation when the stated preconditions are met. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to version 9.2.0597, Vim's Python omni-completion executes reconstructed function and class definitions from the current buffer with exec() as part of populating the completion dictionary. Python evaluates function default values, parameter annotations, and class base expressions at definition time, so a hostile buffer can execute attacker-controlled Python expressions during omni-completion. The existing g:pythoncomplete_allow_import mitigation (GHSA-52mc-rq6p-rc7c) does not cover this path, because the attacker-controlled code is not a harvested import/from statement. This issue has been patched in version 9.2.0597.

Why

Untrusted data can cross into a code-evaluation path and be interpreted as executable instructions.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation when the stated preconditions are met. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
a network path → Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
Active interaction required
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Not a CVSS 4.0 base metric
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-94 ↗

CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'). The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 4.0: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.ATPresentAttack requirements: A particular deployment or execution condition must be present.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UIActiveUser interaction: A user must take a deliberate action for exploitation to succeed.VCHighVulnerable-system confidentiality: A successful attack can cause a major loss.VIHighVulnerable-system integrity: A successful attack can cause a major loss.VAHighVulnerable-system availability: A successful attack can cause a major loss.SCNoneSubsequent-system confidentiality: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SINoneSubsequent-system integrity: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SANoneSubsequent-system availability: No direct loss is represented by this metric.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-94
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-36285Official EUVD mapping

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to version 9.2.0597, Vim's Python omni-completion executes reconstructed function and class definitions from the current buffer with exec() as part of populating the completion dictionary. Python evaluates function default values, parameter annotations, and class base expressions at definition time, so a hostile buffer can execute attacker-controlled Python expressions during omni-completion. The existing g:pythoncomplete_allow_import mitigation (GHSA-52mc-rq6p-rc7c) does not cover this path, because the attacker-controlled code is not a harvested import/from statement. This issue has been patched in version 9.2.0597.

Official EUVD record ↗
BSI · German · WID-SEC-2026-1786vim: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Codeausführung

Ein Angreifer kann eine Schwachstelle in vim ausnutzen, um beliebigen Programmcode auszuführen.

Official advisory ↗
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2026-AVI-0753Multiples vulnérabilités dans Microsoft Azure

De multiples vulnérabilités ont été découvertes dans Microsoft Azure. Elles permettent à un attaquant de provoquer un problème de sécurité non spécifié par l'éditeur.

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2026-019824Vimにおけるコードインジェクションの脆弱性

Vimはオープンソースのコマンドラインテキストエディタです。バージョン9.2.0597より前のVimでは、Pythonのオムニ補完が現在のバッファから再構築された関数およびクラス定義をexec()で実行し、補完辞書を構築する過程で動作していました。Pythonは関数のデフォルト値、パラメータアノテーション、クラスの基底式を定義時に評価するため、悪意のあるバッファはオムニ補完中に攻撃者が制御するPython式を実行させる可能性がありました。既存のg:pythoncomplete_allow_import緩和策(GHSA-52mc-rq6p-rc7c)はこの経路をカバーしていません。なぜなら、攻撃者が制御するコードはimport/from文の収集によるものではないからです。この問題はバージョン9.2.0597で修正されています。

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Fix availability varies by product
Affected
Fixed
Action
Use the product-specific evidence above. Patch only products with a verified fixed release, and keep every affected or under-investigation state without a matching fix in the remediation queue.
Workaround
A mitigation or workaround reference is available from the source linked below; validate it against the affected product and version.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 11 Jun 2026 · Last source change 17 Sept 2026, 12:04 UTC · CWE-94 · Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-36285
Product sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    vim: < 9.2.0597 · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
    After
    vim: < 9.2.0597 · Fixed: For details on how to apply this update, which includes the changes described in this advisory, refer to: https://images.redhat.com/
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
  2. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed from remediation: access.redhat.com/CVE-2026-52860 to remediation: access.redhat.com/CVE-2026-52860.
    Before
    remediation: access.redhat.com/CVE-2026-52860
    After
    remediation: access.redhat.com/CVE-2026-52860
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
  3. Remediation statusRemediation status changed from Awaiting fix to Patch available.
    Before
    Awaiting fix
    After
    Patch available
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
  4. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
    After
    vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 · Fixed: vim-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@src as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-X11-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-X11-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-common-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-common-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-data-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@noarch@public-hummingbird-aarch64-rpms as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-data-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@noarch@public-hummingbird-x86_64-rpms as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-default-editor-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@noarch@public-hummingbird-aarch64-rpms as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-default-editor-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@noarch@public-hummingbird-x86_64-rpms as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-enhanced-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-enhanced-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-filesystem-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@noarch@public-hummingbird-aarch64-rpms as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-filesystem-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@noarch@public-hummingbird-x86_64-rpms as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-minimal-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; vim-minimal-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; xxd-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; xxd-0:9.2.967-1.1.hum1@x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
  5. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed from remediation: access.redhat.com/CVE-2026-52860 to remediation: access.redhat.com/CVE-2026-52860.
    Before
    remediation: access.redhat.com/CVE-2026-52860
    After
    remediation: access.redhat.com/CVE-2026-52860
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
  6. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
    After
    vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
  7. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    < 9.2.0597 · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
    After
    vim: < 9.2.0597 · Fixed: An authoritative update reference is available, but the fixed version is not recorded in the structured CVE fields. Check the linked vendor advisory for the applicable release.
    CNA ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
Fixed release recorded from official guidance
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-36285↗Red Hat Product Security security advisory↗CVE authority or vendor reference · GitHub GHSA-65P9-MWWX-7468↗Mitigation reference · GitHub GHSA-52MC-RQ6P-RC7C↗Patch or update reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2026-52860 · cve.blacktree.nl