vim: vim ZIP argument injection (CVE-2025-29768) #shorts

Summary

In today's episode, we're discussing CVE-2025-29768, a vulnerability in the popular text editor, Vim. This particular flaw pertains to a privilege escalation issue linked to the handling of ZIP files in versions prior to 9.1.1198. We'll dive into what this means for users, how it can potentially be exploited, and what has been done to rectify the situation.

Product details

Vim is a widely-used text editor that is available on multiple platforms and is favored for its powerful features and customizability. However, versions before 9.1.1198 are affected by a flaw that has drawn the attention of security professionals and developers alike.

Vulnerability type summary

This vulnerability is categorized as CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command, also known as 'Argument Injection'. In simpler terms, this means that a user of Vim could inadvertently trigger a command by interacting with specially crafted files, leading to unintended command execution and potential data loss.

Details of the vulnerability

Specifically, the vulnerability involves the interaction with the zip.vim plugin within Vim when processing specially crafted zip files. If a user opens and interacts with such a file in Vim and executes certain actions, like pressing 'x', it can result in privilege escalation. This flaw has been classified as medium impact due to the required user interaction. It was addressed in Vim patch v9.1.1198, with further security updates released by Fedora for versions 40 and 41 to strengthen defenses.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while this vulnerability in Vim presents a potential risk, it requires specific user interaction to be exploited. Users of Vim, particularly those on versions prior to 9.1.1198, are urged to update to the latest patch to protect themselves from potential attacks. By staying informed and ensuring updates are applied, Vim users can mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2025-29768.

This chain involves the following actors

This following systems are involved

Attack entry point

Remediation actions

Exploitation actions

• https://github.com/vim/vim/security/advisories/GHSA-693p-m996-3rmf
• https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/f209dcd3defb95bae21b2740910e6aa7bb940531