CVE-2022-1629 – CVE-2022-1629 is a buffer over-read vulnerabili... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-1629?

CVE-2022-1629 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). CVE-2022-1629 is a buffer over-read vulnerability in Vim's find_next_quote function that could allow attackers to crash the application, modify memory, or potentially execute arbitrary code. This affects users running Vim versions prior to 8.2.4925. The vulnerability requires processing specially crafted files within Vim.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2022-1629 is a buffer over-read vulnerability in Vim's find_next_quote function that could allow attackers to crash the application, modify memory, or potentially execute arbitrary code. This affects users running Vim versions prior to 8.2.4925. The vulnerability requires processing specially crafted files within Vim.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Vim text editor

Versions: All versions prior to 8.2.4925

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

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All standard Vim installations are vulnerable if using affected versions. The vulnerability triggers when processing files with specific quote patterns.

📦 What is this software?

Fedora by Fedoraproject

View all CVEs affecting Fedora →

Fedora by Fedoraproject

View all CVEs affecting Fedora →

Macos by Apple

macOS is Apple's desktop and laptop operating system powering Mac computers used by millions of professionals, developers, creative professionals, and enterprise users worldwide. Built on a Unix foundation with the Darwin kernel and modern Cocoa frameworks, macOS delivers a seamless ecosystem integr...

Learn more about Macos →

Vim by Vim

View all CVEs affecting Vim →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise if Vim processes malicious files from untrusted sources.

🟠

Likely Case

Application crash or denial of service when opening specially crafted files.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if Vim is only used on trusted files and with restricted privileges.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Vim is typically not directly internet-facing, though could be exploited via file uploads to web applications.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users could be targeted via malicious files in shared directories or email attachments.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious file. Proof-of-concept code is available in public disclosures.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 8.2.4925 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/53a70289c2712808e6d4e88927e03cac01b470dd

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Update Vim using your system's package manager (apt, yum, brew, etc.) 2. Verify version is 8.2.4925 or newer 3. For source installations: git pull from official repository and rebuild

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict file processing

all

Avoid opening untrusted files with Vim

Use alternative editors for untrusted files

all

Process potentially malicious files with less vulnerable text editors

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Run Vim with reduced privileges (non-root user)
Implement strict file validation before allowing Vim to process files

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Run 'vim --version' and check if version is below 8.2.4925

Check Version:

vim --version | head -1

Verify Fix Applied:

Run 'vim --version' and confirm version is 8.2.4925 or higher

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Vim crash logs
Segmentation fault errors in system logs

Network Indicators:

Unusual file transfers to systems running Vim

SIEM Query:

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

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-1629

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-126

Published: May 10, 2022

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2022/Oct/28 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2022/Oct/41 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/53a70289c2712808e6d4e88927e03cac01b470dd Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://huntr.dev/bounties/e26d08d4-1886-41f0-9af4-f3e1bf3d52ee Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HIP7KG7TVS5YF3QREAY2GOGUT3YUBZAI/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-32 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202305-16 Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213488 Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2022/Oct/28 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2022/Oct/41 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/53a70289c2712808e6d4e88927e03cac01b470dd Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://huntr.dev/bounties/e26d08d4-1886-41f0-9af4-f3e1bf3d52ee Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HIP7KG7TVS5YF3QREAY2GOGUT3YUBZAI/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-32 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202305-16 Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213488 Third Party Advisory

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2022-1629, you might also want to check these: