Use After Free in Vim

CVE-2025-55157

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. In versions from 9.1.1231 to before 9.1.1400, When processing nested tuples in Vim script, an error during evaluation can trigger a use-after-free in Vim’s internal tuple reference management. Specifically, the tuple_unref() function may access already freed memory due to improper lifetime handling, leading to memory corruption. The exploit requires direct user interaction, as the script must be explicitly executed within Vim. This issue has been patched in version 9.1.1400.

Vulnerability class: Use-After-Free

Published · last modified .

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

EPSS exploit prediction

EPSS: 0.003 (25.4th percentile), scored .

Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 25th percentile — 25.4% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.

EPSS trend (30 days)EPSS over the last 30 days for CVE-2025-55157: held from 0.003 to 0.003.

EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.003 · newest: 0.003 · change: 0.000

Affected products

  • Vim — versions >= 9.1.1231, < 9.1.1400

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-55157?
CVE-2025-55157 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vim, classified under Use After Free. CVSS score: 8.8/10. Published 2025-08-11.
How severe is CVE-2025-55157?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.8 out of 10.