CVE-2026-73071
LOWDescription
Vim is an open source, command line text editor. From 9.2.0511 until 9.2.0844, json_decode_item() in src/json.c can retain a stale pointer after json_decode_string() invokes channel_fill() to refill and free the current buffer, causing the error path to read freed memory instead of reader->js_buf + reader->js_used when an invalid JSON string spans buffers. This issue is fixed in version 9.2.0844.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L/E:U
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 1% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-416 (Use After Free) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2019-0708 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2021-31166 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2015-5119 | Critical | 9.8 | 99% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2010-3962 | High | 8.1 | 97% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2015-0313 | Critical | 9.8 | 96% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2021-34833 | High | 7.8 | 96% | - | - |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-73071?
Published advisories record a fix for 19 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2026-73071 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-73071 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.11% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 1% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-73071?
CVE-2026-73071 has a CVSS v3 base score of 3.3, rated low. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2026-73071 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for vim (Debian), vim (Ubuntu), vim-athena (Ubuntu), vim-athena-py2 (Ubuntu), and 15 more. Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-08-11.