CVE-2024-41965
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a double-free vulnerability in Vim's dialog_changed() function that occurs when abandoning an unnamed modified buffer. The vulnerability can lead to heap corruption, crashes, and potential arbitrary code execution. All users running Vim versions before v9.1.0648 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Vim
📦 What is this software?
Vim by Vim
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Heap corruption leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the Vim process, potentially resulting in system compromise.
Likely Case
Application crash or denial of service when the double-free condition is triggered during buffer operations.
If Mitigated
Limited to application instability or crashes if exploit attempts fail or are blocked by security controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (responding to save prompt) and knowledge of triggering the specific buffer condition.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: v9.1.0648
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/vim/vim/security/advisories/GHSA-46pw-v7qw-xc2f
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update Vim to version 9.1.0648 or later. 2. On Linux: Use package manager (apt-get upgrade vim, yum update vim, etc.). 3. On macOS: Use Homebrew (brew upgrade vim). 4. On Windows: Download latest installer from vim.org. 5. Compile from source: git clone, checkout v9.1.0648+, make install.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Avoid unnamed buffer save prompts
allPrevent triggering the vulnerable code path by always saving files with names before making changes.
vim -c ':set confirm' filename.txt
Disable confirm prompts
allConfigure Vim to not prompt for confirmation when abandoning buffers.
echo 'set confirm' >> ~/.vimrc
echo 'set nohidden' >> ~/.vimrc
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict Vim usage to trusted users only
- Implement application allowlisting to control Vim execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Run 'vim --version' and check if version is below 9.1.0648Check Version:
vim --version | head -1Verify Fix Applied:
Run 'vim --version' and confirm version is 9.1.0648 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Vim crash logs
- Core dumps from Vim process
- System logs showing Vim segmentation faults
Network Indicators:
- None - local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
process_name:vim AND (event_type:crash OR exit_code:139 OR exit_code:11)