CVE-2026-44656
Vim: OS Command Injection via 'path' completion
Description
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.
INFO
Published Date :
May 8, 2026, 11:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
May 14, 2026, 1:59 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update Vim to version 9.2.0435 or later.
- Avoid using :find command completion with untrusted files.
Public PoC/Exploit Available at Github
CVE-2026-44656 has a 2 public
PoC/Exploit available at Github.
Go to the Public Exploits tab to see the list.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-44656.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/190cb3c2b9c769a3972bcfd991a7b5b6cb771ef0 | Patch |
| https://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v9.2.0435 | Product |
| https://github.com/vim/vim/security/advisories/GHSA-hwg5-3cxw-wvvg | Patch Vendor Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-44656 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-44656
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
This repository provides a reproduction environment for CVE-2026-44656.
Dockerfile Shell Makefile Vim Script C Roff Awk Perl BitBake HTML
Config files for my GitHub profile.
config github-config
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-44656 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-44656 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
May. 14, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:vim:vim:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions up to (excluding) 9.2.0435 Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/190cb3c2b9c769a3972bcfd991a7b5b6cb771ef0 Types: Patch Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v9.2.0435 Types: Product Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/vim/vim/security/advisories/GHSA-hwg5-3cxw-wvvg Types: Patch, Vendor Advisory -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
May. 08, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description 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. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CWE CWE-78 Added Reference https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/190cb3c2b9c769a3972bcfd991a7b5b6cb771ef0 Added Reference https://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v9.2.0435 Added Reference https://github.com/vim/vim/security/advisories/GHSA-hwg5-3cxw-wvvg