CVE-2022-2210 – CVE-2022-2210 is an out-of-bounds write vulnera... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2022-2210?

CVE-2022-2210 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). CVE-2022-2210 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Vim text editor versions prior to 8.2. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening specially crafted files. Anyone using vulnerable Vim versions is affected, particularly developers and system administrators who use Vim for editing files.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2022-2210 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Vim text editor versions prior to 8.2. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening specially crafted files. Anyone using vulnerable Vim versions is affected, particularly developers and system administrators who use Vim for editing files.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Vim text editor

Versions: All versions prior to 8.2

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

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All Vim installations prior to version 8.2 are vulnerable regardless of configuration. The vulnerability is in core Vim code.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution with the privileges of the Vim user, potentially leading to full system compromise if Vim is run with elevated privileges.

🟠

Likely Case

Local privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution when users open malicious files, potentially leading to data theft or further lateral movement.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if Vim runs with minimal privileges and proper file validation is in place, though still poses risk of user-level compromise.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Vim is typically not exposed to internet-facing services, though could be exploited through file uploads or email attachments.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users could be targeted via malicious files, especially in development or administrative contexts.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

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

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 8.2 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/c101abff4c6756db4f5e740fde289decb9452efa

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

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

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Use alternative text editors

all

Temporarily use alternative text editors like nano, emacs, or vscode until Vim can be updated.

Restrict Vim execution

all

Limit Vim usage to trusted files only and avoid opening files from untrusted sources.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Run Vim with minimal privileges (non-root user)
Implement strict file validation and scanning for all files opened in Vim

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Run 'vim --version' and check if version is less than 8.2. Vulnerable if output shows version like 8.1 or earlier.

Check Version:

vim --version | head -1

Verify Fix Applied:

Run 'vim --version' and confirm version is 8.2 or higher. Check commit hash includes c101abff4c6756db4f5e740fde289decb9452efa.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Segmentation faults or crashes in Vim process logs
Unusual file access patterns from Vim process

Network Indicators:

File transfers to systems running vulnerable Vim versions

SIEM Query:

process_name:vim AND (version<8.2 OR crash OR segmentation_fault)

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-2210

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-787

Published: June 27, 2022

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/c101abff4c6756db4f5e740fde289decb9452efa Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://huntr.dev/bounties/020845f8-f047-4072-af0f-3726fe1aea25 Exploit,Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/GFD2A4YLBR7OIRHTL7CK6YNMEIQ264CN/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/U743FMJGFQ35GBPCQ6OWMVZEJPDFVEWM/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-32 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202305-16
https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/c101abff4c6756db4f5e740fde289decb9452efa Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://huntr.dev/bounties/020845f8-f047-4072-af0f-3726fe1aea25 Exploit,Patch,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/GFD2A4YLBR7OIRHTL7CK6YNMEIQ264CN/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/U743FMJGFQ35GBPCQ6OWMVZEJPDFVEWM/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-32 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202305-16

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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