CVE-2023-48237 in vim
Summary
by MITRE • 11/17/2023
Vim is an open source command line text editor. In affected versions when shifting lines in operator pending mode and using a very large value, it may be possible to overflow the size of integer. Impact is low, user interaction is required and a crash may not even happen in all situations. This issue has been addressed in commit `6bf131888` which has been included in version 9.0.2112. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-48237 affects Vim, a widely used open source command line text editor that serves as a fundamental tool for system administrators, developers, and security professionals across diverse computing environments. This issue manifests specifically within Vim's operator pending mode functionality where users can perform text manipulation operations. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of integer values during line shifting operations, creating a potential for integer overflow conditions when extremely large values are processed. The flaw exists in the core text editing engine where arithmetic operations are performed without adequate bounds checking, particularly when dealing with the internal representation of line counts and offsets during text manipulation sequences.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in Vim's internal code handling for line shifting operations within operator pending mode. When a user initiates a line shifting command and provides an excessively large integer value, the application fails to validate the magnitude of the input against the maximum representable integer values for the platform. This condition creates a scenario where integer overflow can occur, potentially leading to unpredictable behavior including memory corruption or application crashes. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-190 as "Integer Overflow or Wraparound" and represents a classic software security flaw where arithmetic operations exceed the bounds of the data type used to store results. The issue specifically impacts the integer data type handling within Vim's text manipulation routines, particularly in scenarios involving large-scale text operations.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2023-48237 is considered low severity due to several mitigating factors that reduce the likelihood of exploitation. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be triggered, meaning an attacker cannot automatically exploit this flaw without user participation in the editing process. Additionally, the crash condition may not occur in all scenarios, making the vulnerability less reliable for malicious exploitation. However, the potential for application instability remains significant in environments where Vim is extensively used for critical text processing tasks, as unexpected crashes could disrupt workflow or potentially be leveraged in combination with other vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.006 for Command and Scripting Interpreter usage patterns that might be exploited in automated testing scenarios.
The remediation for this vulnerability was implemented through commit 6bf131888 which introduced proper integer bounds checking within Vim's line shifting operations. This fix ensures that input values are validated against maximum representable integer limits before processing, preventing the overflow conditions that could lead to memory corruption or application instability. Users are strongly advised to upgrade to Vim version 9.0.2112 or later to receive the patched implementation. Security practitioners should monitor their environments for instances of older Vim versions and prioritize updates as part of their vulnerability management processes. The absence of known workarounds means that organizations cannot mitigate this vulnerability through configuration changes or alternative operational procedures, making the upgrade path the only reliable solution. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in text processing applications and highlights how seemingly benign editing operations can expose fundamental security flaws in widely deployed software tools.