Vim: Arbitrary Code Execution via Shell Keyword Lookup
vim · vim
8.4HighCVSS 4.0
Recommended action
Within 7 days
High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
Patch available
Distribution package intelligence
Ubuntu vendor package status
Canonical’s release and source-package findings are shown separately from local repository availability.
1 package state
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.
Ubuntu release
Source package
Vendor state
Fixed version
Evidence
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSnoble · standard archive
vim
Vendor fix publishedCanonical reports that a fixed source package version has been published. Repository candidate availability is not checked by BlackTree.
Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.
The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.
vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
vim-data as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
xxd as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Summary
A vulnerability in Vim's shell script plugins (sh.vim, zsh.vim, ps1.vim) allows arbitrary code execution if a user selects maliciously crafted text in Visual mode and triggers a keyword lookup, due to improperly escaped shell metacharacters.
Remediation
To mitigate this vulnerability, users can disable the `keywordprg` option for shell script filetypes. This prevents Vim from executing external commands via the `K` command with potentially untrusted input. Create or edit the following files in your Vim configuration directory: - `~/.vim/after/ftplugin/sh.vim`: `setlocal keywordprg=` - `~/.vim/after/ftplugin/zsh.vim`: `setlocal keywordprg=` - `~/.vim/after/ftplugin/ps1.vim`: `setlocal keywordprg=` This change takes effect the next time a shell script is opened in Vim.
Optional official sources
National CERT insights ?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.
Select the national-authority views to include. The exact source language is shown on each matched advisory. Your choice is remembered on this device and encoded in the shareable URL.
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-2026-56233
No EUVD known-exploited evidence
ENISA has published the identifier mapping but no EUVD description has been stored yet.
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
Not supplied in the stored EUVD record
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days
High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
Patch available
01
What, why and how
Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to 9.2.0839, the runtime/ftplugin/sh.vim, runtime/ftplugin/zsh.vim, and runtime/ftplugin/ps1.vim filetype plugins pass attacker-controlled Visual-mode selections from K through keywordprg commands without safely separating shell arguments. fnameescape() and PATH_ESC_CHARS do not neutralize shell metacharacters before ShKeywordPrg, ZshKeywordPrg, or GetHelp invokes bash, zsh, or PowerShell, allowing arbitrary operating-system commands to execute with the privileges of the user running Vim. This issue is fixed in version 9.2.0839.
What
Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to 9.2.0839, the runtime/ftplugin/sh.vim, runtime/ftplugin/zsh.vim, and runtime/ftplugin/ps1.vim filetype plugins pass attacker-controlled Visual-mode selections from K through keywordprg commands without safely separating shell arguments. fnameescape() and PATH_ESC_CHARS do not neutralize shell metacharacters before ShKeywordPrg, ZshKeywordPrg, or GetHelp invokes bash, zsh, or PowerShell, allowing arbitrary operating-system commands to execute with the privileges of the user running Vim. This issue is fixed in version 9.2.0839.
Why
Untrusted input is incorporated into an operating-system command without safe parameter handling.
How
An attacker operating through local access 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 9.2.0839, the runtime/ftplugin/sh.vim, runtime/ftplugin/zsh.vim, and runtime/ftplugin/ps1.vim filetype plugins pass attacker-controlled Visual-mode selections from K through keywordprg commands without safely separating shell arguments. fnameescape() and PATH_ESC_CHARS do not neutralize shell metacharacters before ShKeywordPrg, ZshKeywordPrg, or GetHelp invokes bash, zsh, or PowerShell, allowing arbitrary operating-system commands to execute with the privileges of the user running Vim. This issue is fixed in version 9.2.0839.
Why
Untrusted input is incorporated into an operating-system command without safe parameter handling.
How
An attacker operating through local access 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
local access → Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Local
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-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'). The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.
CVSS vector ?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System 4.0: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVLocalAttack vector: The attacker needs local access to the vulnerable system.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.ATNoneAttack requirements: No additional deployment or execution condition is required.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
The issue can support a local privilege or sandbox boundary transition; normal system utilities may then be available in the gained context.
UnauthenticatedCWE-78
A
Official authority intelligence
Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-56233Official EUVD mapping
0 linked advisory records.
Official EUVD recordBSI · German · WID-SEC-W-2026-2513vim: Mehrere Schwachstellen
Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in vim ausnutzen, um beliebigen Programmcode auszuführen, um einen Denial of Service Angriff durchzuführen, und um nicht näher spezifizierte Auswirkungen zu verursachen.
Official advisoryCSIRT Italia · Italian · rilevate-vulnerabilita-in-vim-1Rilevate vulnerabilità in Vim
Rilevate 5 nuove vulnerabilità con gravità “alta” in Vim, noto editor di testo avanzato. Tali vulnerabilità, qualora sfruttate, potrebbero consentire ad un utente malintenzionato di eseguire codice arbitrario sui sistemi interessati.
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.
Patch available
Affected
vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-data as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; xxd as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Fixed
9.2.0839.
Action
Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround
To mitigate this vulnerability, users can disable the `keywordprg` option for shell script filetypes. This prevents Vim from executing external commands via the `K` command with potentially untrusted input. Create or edit the following files in your Vim configuration directory: - `~/.vim/after/ftplugin/sh.vim`: `setlocal keywordprg=` - `~/.vim/after/ftplugin/zsh.vim`: `setlocal keywordprg=` - `~/.vim/after/ftplugin/ps1.vim`: `setlocal keywordprg=` This change takes effect the next time a shell script is opened in Vim.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 11 Aug 2026 · Last source change 11 Aug 2026, 18:33 UTC · CWE-78 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command 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-2026-56233
Product sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD received
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
Before
vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-data as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; xxd as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
After
vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-data as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; xxd as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
Before
vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-data as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; xxd as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; rhcos as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
After
vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-data as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; xxd as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
Before
vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-data as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; xxd as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
After
vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-data as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; xxd as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10; vim-X11 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-common as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-enhanced as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-filesystem as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim-minimal as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; vim.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9; rhcos as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
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.
