CVE-2022-2571 in vim
Summary
by MITRE • 08/01/2022
Heap-based Buffer Overflow in GitHub repository vim/vim prior to 9.0.0101.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/29/2022
The heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2571 affects the popular text editor vim version 9.0.0101 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. This vulnerability resides within the vim source code repository managed by GitHub and specifically impacts the heap memory management functionality of the application. The issue manifests when vim processes certain input data structures that trigger improper memory allocation and handling, creating conditions where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent heap memory regions.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking during memory operations within vim's internal processing routines. When the application encounters specific malformed input sequences, particularly those involving complex text processing or data manipulation operations, it allocates heap memory without sufficient validation of input boundaries. This flaw allows attackers to craft malicious input that, when processed by vim, causes the application to write data beyond the allocated buffer space, leading to heap corruption. The vulnerability is classified as a heap-based buffer overflow according to the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE-122) which specifically addresses insufficient memory bounds checking in heap allocations.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-2571 extends beyond simple privilege escalation scenarios as it can be leveraged by remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution on systems where vim is installed and actively used. Since vim is a widely deployed text editor across multiple operating systems including linux, unix, and windows platforms, the potential attack surface is extensive. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by delivering malicious input through various attack vectors such as opening specially crafted files, processing malformed text documents, or exploiting web-based interfaces that utilize vim for text processing. The vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in server environments where vim is used for configuration management, automated scripting, or remote administration tasks.
Security practitioners should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by upgrading to vim version 9.0.0101 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the heap overflow conditions. The patch implementation involves strengthening input validation mechanisms and implementing proper bounds checking for heap memory operations. Organizations should also consider implementing additional defensive measures including input sanitization for vim-based applications, network segmentation to limit exposure, and monitoring for suspicious file access patterns. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution, as attackers could leverage this flaw to execute malicious commands through vim's text processing capabilities. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running vulnerable versions of vim and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to prevent exploitation attempts.