CVE-2016-1248
vim before patch 8.0.0056 does not properly validate values for the 'filetype', 'syntax' and 'keymap' options, which may result in the execution of arbitrary code if a file with a specially crafted modeline is opened.
Does this matter?
EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 25.3%, higher than 98% of all known CVEs. Patch or mitigate before the next change window.
Description
vim before patch 8.0.0056 does not properly validate values for the 'filetype', 'syntax' and 'keymap' options, which may result in the execution of arbitrary code if a file with a specially crafted modeline is opened.
- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 25.31% probability · 98th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-20
- Affected
- vim/vim · debian/debian linux
- Source
- security@debian.org
EPSS moved from 7.7% on 21 September 2026 to 25.3% on 4 November 2026. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”.
References
- http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/11/22/20Patch, Third Party Advisory
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2972.html
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3722
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94478
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037338
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3139-1
- https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-vim/vim.git/tree/debian/changelogPatch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/neovim/neovim/commit/4fad66fbe637818b6b3d6bc5d21923ba72795040Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/d0b5138ba4bccff8a744c99836041ef6322ed39aPatch, Vendor Advisory
- https://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v8.0.0056Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2016/11/msg00025.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-security-announce/2016/msg00305.htmlThird Party Advisory
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-29
- http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/11/22/20Patch, Third Party Advisory
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2972.html
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3722
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94478
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037338
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3139-1
- https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-vim/vim.git/tree/debian/changelogPatch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/neovim/neovim/commit/4fad66fbe637818b6b3d6bc5d21923ba72795040Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/d0b5138ba4bccff8a744c99836041ef6322ed39aPatch, Vendor Advisory
- https://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v8.0.0056Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2016/11/msg00025.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-security-announce/2016/msg00305.htmlThird Party Advisory
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-29
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.