Vim: Arbitrary Code Execution via Netrw Menu Construction

Description

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to 9.2.0840, runtime/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim loads netrw and runtime/pack/dist/opt/netrw/autoload/netrw.vim constructs Bookmarks, History, and Targets menu entries by interpolating attacker-controlled directory paths into executed :menu commands. s:NetrwBookmarkMenu(), s:NetrwTgtMenu(), g:netrw_menu_escape, EX_TRLBAR, and netrw#MakeTgt() fail to neutralize the | command separator or single quotes at five construction sites, allowing a crafted path browsed or bookmarked in GUI Vim to execute arbitrary Ex and operating-system commands. This issue is fixed in version 9.2.0840.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

0.31% · top 76% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 8.6.

Weakness

• CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection') (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-77 and its CVEs
• CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-184 and its CVEs

Affected products

• vim · vim

  • affected < 9.2.0840

References (2)

• https://github.com/vim/vim/security/advisories/GHSA-rcr7-f3wr-22r2 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRM
• https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/29c6fd090d4520592f8be7d9ec81190edf25ef69 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC

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-2026-73078](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2026-73078.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2026-73078)

Record last updated 11 Aug 2026, 16:57 UTC.