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Ubuntu Security Updates Fixed Vim Vulnerabilities
Rohan Timalsina
December 25, 2023 - TuxCare expert team
Vim, a powerful and widely used text editor, has recently come under scrutiny due to several vulnerabilities that could potentially compromise system security. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of these vulnerabilities, exploring their impact and the affected versions of Ubuntu. Understanding these issues is crucial for users to take prompt action and secure their systems.
Vulnerabilities in Vim
A flaw was uncovered in Vim that could allow an attacker to dereference invalid memory, leading to a potential denial of service. This vulnerability exclusively affected Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
Vim’s susceptibility to infinite recursion was identified, presenting an opportunity for attackers to cause a denial of service. This issue impacted Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
A critical vulnerability was discovered in Vim, allowing an attacker to perform out-of-bounds writes with a put command. This flaw posed a risk of denial of service or arbitrary code execution and was specific to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
CVE-2022-1897 and CVE-2022-2000
Vim exhibited vulnerabilities that could result in out-of-bounds writes, creating avenues for denial of service or arbitrary code execution. Affected Ubuntu versions included 14.04 LTS, 18.04 LTS, 20.04 LTS, and 22.04 LTS.
Vim’s inadequate memory management in the spell command raised concerns, presenting an opportunity for a denial of service or arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability specifically impacted Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
CVE-2023-46246 and CVE-2023-48231
Vim’s flawed memory management, as identified in CVE-2023-46246 and CVE-2023-48231, could potentially result in a denial of service or arbitrary code execution. These vulnerabilities were not tied to specific Ubuntu versions.
A critical vulnerability was uncovered, wherein Vim could be coerced into division by zero, leading to a denial of service. This issue exclusively affected Ubuntu 23.04 and Ubuntu 23.10.
CVE-2023-48233 to CVE-2023-48237
Vim faced multiple vulnerabilities related to arithmetic overflows, each presenting a risk of denial of service. These issues, identified as CVE-2023-48233 to CVE-2023-48237, were not version-specific.
A vulnerability in Vim’s substitute command revealed inadequate memory management, potentially causing a denial of service or arbitrary code execution. This issue was specific to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Ubuntu 23.04, and Ubuntu 23.10.
Conclusion
As Vim remains a widely adopted text editor, users and administrators must stay informed about these vulnerabilities. Regularly updating Vim and applying security patches is imperative to mitigate the risks associated with these issues. By staying vigilant, users can ensure a secure and efficient editing environment while minimizing the potential impact of these vulnerabilities.
For Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 18.04 EOL systems, you will require a Ubuntu Pro subscription to receive the security updates. Alternatively, you can utilize a cost-effective solution from TuxCare which offers Extended Lifecycle Support for Ubuntu 16.04 and Ubuntu 18.04. It includes 4 years of security support with immediate patching for high and critical vulnerabilities.
Speak to a TuxCare Linux security expert to receive ongoing security patches for your end-of-life Ubuntu systems.
The sources for this article can be found on USN-6557-1.
