CVE-2022-2982 in vim
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2022
Use After Free in GitHub repository vim/vim prior to 9.0.0259.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/28/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2982 represents a critical use-after-free condition affecting the popular vim text editor software. This flaw exists within the github repository vim/vim and specifically impacts versions prior to 9.0.0259, making it a significant concern for users who rely on this widely deployed editor across various operating systems and development environments. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices that allow an attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service condition when the application processes certain input data.
The technical implementation of this use-after-free vulnerability occurs when the vim editor handles specific buffer operations that involve memory allocation and deallocation. When an attacker can manipulate the input to trigger a particular code path, the application may free memory that is subsequently accessed by other operations, creating a scenario where the freed memory is reused for unintended purposes. This condition typically arises from insufficient validation of input parameters or improper handling of complex data structures within the editor's internal processing routines. The vulnerability manifests when the application's memory management functions fail to properly track object references, leading to a state where freed memory addresses are accessed after the memory has been returned to the system's free memory pool.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents substantial risks to system security and stability. Attackers could potentially exploit this condition to execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running vim, which could lead to complete system compromise if the editor is used with elevated permissions. The impact extends beyond simple code execution as the vulnerability may also enable privilege escalation attacks, especially when vim is used in environments where it has elevated privileges or when exploited in conjunction with other vulnerabilities. Additionally, the denial of service aspect of this vulnerability means that even without code execution capabilities, attackers can disrupt normal operations by causing the editor to crash or become unresponsive, which could be particularly problematic in automated environments or production systems where vim is extensively used.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2022-2982 centers on updating to version 9.0.0259 or later of the vim editor, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory management issues. Organizations should prioritize this update across all systems where vim is installed, particularly in development environments where the editor is frequently used for code editing and system administration tasks. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as sandboxing mechanisms or privilege separation when running vim with elevated permissions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions, and from an attack perspective, this flaw could map to multiple ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation and execution through command-line interfaces. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual memory access patterns or process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, while network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.