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.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (2.83%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
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.
- CVSS 3.0
- 9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 2.83% probability · 87th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-190
- Affected
- vim/vim
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 2.8% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3786
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96217
- https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/399c297aa93afe2c0a39e2a1b3f972aebba44c9dPatch, Vendor Advisory
- https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21topic/vim_dev/t-3RSdEnrHY
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201706-26
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4016-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4309-1/
- http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3786
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/96217
- https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/399c297aa93afe2c0a39e2a1b3f972aebba44c9dPatch, Vendor Advisory
- https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21topic/vim_dev/t-3RSdEnrHY
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201706-26
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4016-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4309-1/
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.