How severe is CVE-2008-2712?

CVE-2008-2712 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2008-2712 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 15% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-2712?

CVE-2008-2712 primarily affects Vim. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-2712?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2008-2712 published?

CVE-2008-2712 was published on 2008-06-16 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-2712

CVE-2008-2712 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Vim with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 15% places it in the 96th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 9.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 15% (96th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Vim
Published: 2008-06-16
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Vim 7.1.314, 6.4, and other versions allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via Vim scripts that do not properly sanitize inputs before invoking the execute or system functions, as demonstrated using (1) filetype.vim, (3) xpm.vim, (4) gzip_vim, and (5) netrw. NOTE: the originally reported version was 7.1.314, but the researcher actually found this set of issues in 7.1.298. NOTE: the zipplugin issue (originally vector 2 in this identifier) has been subsumed by CVE-2008-3075.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-2712?: Vim 7.1.314, 6.4, and other versions allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via Vim scripts that do not properly sanitize inputs before invoking the execute or system functions, as demonstrated using (1) filetype.vim, (3) xpm.vim, (4) gzip_vim, and (5) netrw. NOTE: the originally reported version was 7.1.314, but the researcher actually found this set of issues in 7.1.298. NOTE: the zipplugin issue (originally vector 2 in this identifier) has been subsumed by CVE-2008-3075.
How severe is CVE-2008-2712?: CVE-2008-2712 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2008-2712 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 15% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-2712?: CVE-2008-2712 primarily affects Vim. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-2712?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2008-2712 published?: CVE-2008-2712 was published on 2008-06-16 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:vim:vim:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:6.06:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:7.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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