CVE-2026-28419
Heap-Based Buffer Underflow in Vim Tags File Parsing
Publication date: 2026-02-27
Last updated on: 2026-03-04
Assigner: GitHub, Inc.
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| vim | vim | to 9.2.0075 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-125 | The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. |
| CWE-124 | The product writes to a buffer using an index or pointer that references a memory location prior to the beginning of the buffer. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability exists in the Vim text editor prior to version 9.2.0075. It is a heap-based buffer underflow that occurs in Vim's Emacs-style tags file parsing logic. Specifically, when Vim processes a malformed tags file where a delimiter appears at the start of a line, it attempts to read memory immediately before the allocated buffer, which can lead to unexpected behavior or crashes.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The vulnerability can lead to memory corruption due to reading memory before the allocated buffer. This can cause Vim to crash or behave unpredictably. Additionally, it may allow an attacker to leak sensitive information or potentially execute arbitrary code, depending on the context in which Vim is used and the privileges of the user running it.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
I don't know
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
I don't know
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, you should update Vim to version 9.2.0075 or later, as this version contains the fix for the heap-based buffer underflow issue in the Emacs-style tags file parsing logic.