Vim 3.0 through 7.x before 7.2.010 does not properly escape characters, which allows user-assisted attackers to (1) execute arbitrary…

Description

Vim 3.0 through 7.x before 7.2.010 does not properly escape characters, which allows user-assisted attackers to (1) execute arbitrary shell commands by entering a K keystroke on a line that contains a ";" (semicolon) followed by a command, or execute arbitrary Ex commands by entering an argument after a (2) "Ctrl-]" (control close-square-bracket) or (3) "g]" (g close-square-bracket) keystroke sequence, a different issue than CVE-2008-2712.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

9.2% · top 4.7% of all CVEs (3 Nov 2026)

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 9.3.

Weakness

• n/a
• CWE-20 (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-20 and its CVEs

Affected products

• n/a

  • affected n/a

References (39)

• http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2009-0004.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• [vim-dev] 20080903 Patch 7.2.010 (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• RHSA-2008:0618 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
• [oss-security] 20080915 Re: [oss-list] CVE request (vim) (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• 31592 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
• 20080825 RE: Arbitrary Code Execution in Commands: K, Control-], g] (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
• USN-712-1 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTUx_transferred
• [oss-security] 20080911 Re: [oss-list] CVE request (vim) (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• oval:org.mitre.oval:def:10894 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entrysignaturex_refsource_OVALx_transferred
• 31681 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
• [oss-security] 20080915 Re: [oss-list] CVE request (vim) (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• 32858 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
• 33410 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
• APPLE-SA-2010-03-29-1 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_APPLEx_transferred
• RHSA-2008:0580 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
• http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2009-001.htm (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• vim-normal-command-execution(44626) (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_XFx_transferred
• ADV-2009-0904 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
• ADV-2009-0033 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
• 20090401 VMSA-2009-0004 ESX Service Console updates for openssl, bind, and vim (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
• http://groups.google.com/group/vim_dev/attach/dd32ad3a84f36bb2/K-arbitrary-command-execution.patch?part=2 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=461927 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2008-457.htm (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• 32222 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
• http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4077 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• 30795 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
• oval:org.mitre.oval:def:5812 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entrysignaturex_refsource_OVALx_transferred
• http://groups.google.com/group/vim_dev/attach/9290f26f9bc11b33/K-arbitrary-command-execution.patch.v3?part=2 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• [oss-security] 20080911 [oss-list] CVE request (vim) (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• 20080822 Vim: Arbitrary Code Execution in Commands: K, Control-], g] (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
• MDVSA-2008:236 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_MANDRIVAx_transferred
• ADV-2008-2780 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
• 32864 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
• [vim_dev] 20080824 Bug with v_K and potentially K command (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
• http://www.rdancer.org/vulnerablevim-K.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• APPLE-SA-2008-10-09 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_APPLEx_transferred
• http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3216 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• http://groups.google.com/group/vim_dev/browse_thread/thread/1434d0812b5c817e/6ad2d5b50a96668e (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
• RHSA-2008:0617 (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2008-4101](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2008-4101.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2008-4101)

Record last updated 7 Aug 2024, 10:00 UTC.