How severe is CVE-2023-48706?

CVE-2023-48706 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.6, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity low, and availability low.

Is CVE-2023-48706 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-48706?

CVE-2023-48706 affects Vim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-48706?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2023-48706 published?

CVE-2023-48706 was published on 2023-11-22 and last updated on 2026-06-23.

CVE-2023-48706

CVE-2023-48706 is a low-severity vulnerability in Vim with a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.6. 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-416.

Key facts

Severity: Low (CVSS 3.x base score 3.6)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (35th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Vim
Published: 2023-11-22
Last modified: 2026-06-23

Description

Vim is a UNIX editor that, prior to version 9.0.2121, has a heap-use-after-free vulnerability. When executing a `:s` command for the very first time and using a sub-replace-special atom inside the substitution part, it is possible that the recursive `:s` call causes free-ing of memory which may later then be accessed by the initial `:s` command. The user must intentionally execute the payload and the whole process is a bit tricky to do since it seems to work only reliably for the very first :s command. It may also cause a crash of Vim. Version 9.0.2121 contains a fix for this issue.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-48706?: Vim is a UNIX editor that, prior to version 9.0.2121, has a heap-use-after-free vulnerability. When executing a `:s` command for the very first time and using a sub-replace-special atom inside the substitution part, it is possible that the recursive `:s` call causes free-ing of memory which may later then be accessed by the initial `:s` command. The user must intentionally execute the payload and the whole process is a bit tricky to do since it seems to work only reliably for the very first :s command. It may also cause a crash of Vim. Version 9.0.2121 contains a fix for this issue.
How severe is CVE-2023-48706?: CVE-2023-48706 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.6, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity low, and availability low.
Is CVE-2023-48706 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-48706?: CVE-2023-48706 affects Vim. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-48706?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-48706 published?: CVE-2023-48706 was published on 2023-11-22 and last updated on 2026-06-23.

References

Affected products (1)

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

More vulnerabilities in Vim

CVE-2020-20703 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Buffer Overflow vulnerability in VIM v.8.1.2135 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via the operand…
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Other CWE-416 (Use After Free) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2024-43102 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Concurrent removals of certain anonymous shared memory mappings by using the UMTX_SHM_DESTROY sub-request of…
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