Vim 9.2.0840 netrwPlugin Ex Cmd Injection via Menus
CVE-2026-73078 Published on August 11, 2026
Vim: Arbitrary Code Execution via Netrw Menu Construction
Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to 9.2.0840, runtime/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim loads netrw and runtime/pack/dist/opt/netrw/autoload/netrw.vim constructs Bookmarks, History, and Targets menu entries by interpolating attacker-controlled directory paths into executed :menu commands. s:NetrwBookmarkMenu(), s:NetrwTgtMenu(), g:netrw_menu_escape, EX_TRLBAR, and netrw#MakeTgt() fail to neutralize the | command separator or single quotes at five construction sites, allowing a crafted path browsed or bookmarked in GUI Vim to execute arbitrary Ex and operating-system commands. This issue is fixed in version 9.2.0840.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-73078 is exploitable with network access. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality and integrity and availability.
Weakness Types
What is a Command Injection Vulnerability?
The software constructs all or part of a command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended command when it is sent to a downstream component.
CVE-2026-73078 has been classified to as a Command Injection vulnerability or weakness.
What is a Denylist / Deny List Vulnerability?
The product implements a protection mechanism that relies on a list of inputs (or properties of inputs) that are not allowed by policy or otherwise require other action to neutralize before additional processing takes place, but the list is incomplete, leading to resultant weaknesses. Developers often try to protect their products against malicious input by performing tests against inputs that are known to be bad, such as special characters that can invoke new commands. However, such lists often only account for the most well-known bad inputs. Attackers may be able to find other malicious inputs that were not expected by the developer, allowing them to bypass the intended protection mechanism.
CVE-2026-73078 has been classified to as a Denylist / Deny List vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-73078
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