CVE-2022-1154 – CVE-2022-1154 is a use-after-free vulnerability... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-1154?

CVE-2022-1154 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). CVE-2022-1154 is a use-after-free vulnerability in Vim's utf_ptr2char function that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service. Users who open specially crafted files with vulnerable Vim versions are affected. This vulnerability affects Vim prior to version 8.2.4646.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2022-1154 is a use-after-free vulnerability in Vim's utf_ptr2char function that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service. Users who open specially crafted files with vulnerable Vim versions are affected. This vulnerability affects Vim prior to version 8.2.4646.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Vim

Versions: All versions prior to 8.2.4646

Operating Systems: Linux, Unix-like systems, Windows, macOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects all Vim installations regardless of configuration. Vim is commonly installed by default on many Linux distributions.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise when a user opens a malicious file.

🟠

Likely Case

Application crash (denial of service) when processing malformed input.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if users only open trusted files and have proper file permissions.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Vim is typically not directly internet-facing.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Users could be tricked into opening malicious files via email or shared drives.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious file). Proof of concept is available in the public references.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 8.2.4646 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/b55986c52d4cd88a22d0b0b0e8a79547ba13e1d5

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Update Vim using your system's package manager. 2. For Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade vim. 3. For RHEL/CentOS: sudo yum update vim. 4. For macOS with Homebrew: brew upgrade vim. 5. For Windows: Download latest version from vim.org.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Avoid opening untrusted files

all

Do not open files from untrusted sources with Vim.

Use alternative editors for untrusted files

all

Use less, cat, or other simple viewers for files from unknown sources.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict Vim execution to trusted users only
Implement application whitelisting to prevent Vim execution in high-risk environments

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Run 'vim --version' and check if version is below 8.2.4646.

Check Version:

vim --version | head -1

Verify Fix Applied:

Run 'vim --version' and confirm version is 8.2.4646 or higher.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Vim crash logs
Core dumps from Vim process
Abnormal termination of Vim

Network Indicators:

Unusual file transfers to systems with Vim installed

SIEM Query:

process_name:vim AND (event_type:crash OR exit_code:139 OR exit_code:11)

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-1154

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-416

Published: March 30, 2022

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/b55986c52d4cd88a22d0b0b0e8a79547ba13e1d5 Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://huntr.dev/bounties/7f0ec6bc-ea0e-45b0-8128-caac72d23425 Exploit,Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/05/msg00022.html Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/11/msg00009.html Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/C2CQXRLBIC4S7JQVEIN5QXKQPYWB5E3J/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RAIQTUO35U5WO2NYMY47637EMCVDJRSL/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-32 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202305-16
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/b55986c52d4cd88a22d0b0b0e8a79547ba13e1d5 Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://huntr.dev/bounties/7f0ec6bc-ea0e-45b0-8128-caac72d23425 Exploit,Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/05/msg00022.html Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/11/msg00009.html Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/C2CQXRLBIC4S7JQVEIN5QXKQPYWB5E3J/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RAIQTUO35U5WO2NYMY47637EMCVDJRSL/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-32 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202305-16
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html Third Party Advisory

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