CVE-2025-26603 | heap-use-after-free in function str_to_reg in vim/vim

Vim is a greatly improved version of the good old UNIX editor Vi. Vim allows to redirect screen messages using the `:redir` ex command to register, variables and files. It also allows to show the contents of registers using the `:registers` or `:display` ex command. When redirecting the output of `:display` to a register, Vim will free the register content before storing the new content in the register. Now when redirecting the `:display` command to a register that is being displayed, Vim will free the content while shortly afterwards trying to access it, which leads to a use-after-free. Vim pre 9.1.1115 checks in the ex_display() function, that it does not try to redirect to a register while displaying this register at the same time. However this check is not complete, and so Vim does not check the `+` and `*` registers (which typically donate the X11/clipboard registers, and when a clipboard connection is not possible will fall back to use register 0 instead. In Patch 9.1.1115 Vim will therefore skip outputting to register zero when trying to redirect to the clipboard registers `*` or `+`. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Published: 2025-02-18 Last update: 2026-06-17 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2025-26603 is rated Low Risk (21.3/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.22%). Mandatory action: Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2025-26603

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.05% 0.22% +0.17%
2 2025-11-21 0.08% 0.05% -0.04%
3 2025-11-18 0.08%

Full EPSS history (4 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2025-26603

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
4.2 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:R)
A real person has to do something—click, install, enable—otherwise it doesn’t land.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:L)
Some sensitive info could get out, but not a total data dump.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
0.8 3.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2025-26603

OS Trackers for CVE-2025-26603

vendor priority summary link
alpine CVE-2025-26603: 1 source package rows (vim); 215 state rows across 5 repos (3.19-main, 3.20-main, 3.21-main, 3.22-main, edge-main); fixed 2, open 213. https://security.alpinelinux.org/vuln/CVE-2025-26603
debian unimportant CVE-2025-26603 unimportant priority: Debian including 1 source packages (vim), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 3, open 2. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2025-26603
redhat low https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-26603
suse medium CVE-2025-26603 severity moderate: SUSE including 6 source package names (gvim, vim, vim-data, vim-data-common, vim-small, xxd), 168 product×package rows across 41 product lines (SLES-LTSS-TERADATA 15 SP2, SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS, … (41 product lines)): Known Not Affected 168. https://www.suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-26603/
ubuntu medium CVE-2025-26603 medium priority: Ubuntu including 1 source packages (vim), 8 status rows across 8 suites (bionic, focal, jammy, noble, oracular, trusty, upstream, xenial): released 8. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-26603

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2025-26603

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
vim vim < 9.1.1115 cpe:2.3:a:vim:vim:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
netapp hci_compute_node cpe:2.3:h:netapp:hci_compute_node:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2025-26603

cvelogic Threat Intelligence