RCE in Vim
CVE-2026-44656
Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to version 9.2.0435, an OS command injection vulnerability exists in Vim's :find command-line completion. When the path option contains backtick-enclosed shell commands, those commands are executed during file name completion. Because the path option lacks the P_SECURE flag, it can be set from a modeline, allowing an attacker who controls the contents of a file to execute arbitrary shell commands when the user opens that file in Vim and triggers :find completion. This issue has been patched in version 9.2.0435.
Vulnerability class: Command Injection (OS Command Injection)
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 5.3 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.008 (55.1th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 55th percentile — 55.1% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.009 · newest: 0.008 · change: -0.001
Affected products
- Vim — versions < 9.2.0435
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- github.com/vim/vim/commit/190cb3c2b9c769a3972bcfd991a7b5b6cb771ef0 (Patch)
- github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v9.2.0435 (Product)
- github.com/vim/vim/security/advisories/GHSA-hwg5-3cxw-wvvg (Patch, Vendor Advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-44656?
- CVE-2026-44656 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Vim, classified under OS Command Injection. CVSS score: 5.3/10. Published 2026-05-08.
- How severe is CVE-2026-44656?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.3 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2026-44656 known to be exploited?
- 1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.