CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2025-55157 — Vim is an open source, command line text editor

High CVSS 8.8

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. In versions from 9.1.1231 to before 9.1.1400, When processing nested tuples in Vim script, an error during evaluation can trigger a use-after-free in Vim’s internal tuple reference management. Specifically, the tuple_unref() function may access already freed memory due to improper lifetime handling, leading to memory corruption. The exploit requires direct user interaction, as the script must be explicitly executed within Vim. This issue has been patched in version 9.1.1400.

Severity
High
CVSS
8.8 (3.1)
Published
2025-08-11
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-416

Affected products

  • vim / vim

Matched remediation archetype

Use-after-free, double free, and expired resource use

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Trace ownership, references, callbacks, asynchronous tasks, and teardown paths around the affected object or resource.
  • Identify reachable inputs and timing or state transitions that can release the object while references remain.
  • Confirm affected builds, allocators, feature flags, architectures, and process privileges.

Remediate safely

  • Apply the maintained ownership or lifetime fix and rebuild all artifacts containing the affected native code.
  • Use explicit ownership, safe reference management, cancellation and join semantics, and idempotent teardown.
  • Add deterministic lifetime tests plus isolated sanitizer and concurrency coverage for shutdown and error paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

The detailed catalog view below loads this exact record, its source evidence, and the full seven-phase agentic change plan.