How severe is CVE-2017-5953?

CVE-2017-5953 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-5953 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-5953?

CVE-2017-5953 affects Vim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-5953?

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-2017-5953 published?

CVE-2017-5953 was published on 2017-02-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-5953

CVE-2017-5953 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Vim with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-190.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (85th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-190
Affected product: Vim
Published: 2017-02-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

vim before patch 8.0.0322 does not properly validate values for tree length when handling a spell file, which may result in an integer overflow at a memory allocation site and a resultant buffer overflow.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-5953?: vim before patch 8.0.0322 does not properly validate values for tree length when handling a spell file, which may result in an integer overflow at a memory allocation site and a resultant buffer overflow.
How severe is CVE-2017-5953?: CVE-2017-5953 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-5953 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (85th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-5953?: CVE-2017-5953 affects Vim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-5953?: 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-2017-5953 published?: CVE-2017-5953 was published on 2017-02-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:vim:vim:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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