# CVE-2023-4752: Use After Free in vim/vim

> A use-after-free flaw in Vim allows attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service via crafted input.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 4 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 3 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2023-4752, ALSA-2025:7440, AZL-28660, BELL-CVE-2023-4752, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-4752, GHSA-5pgr-2gf9-wh94, RHSA-2025:7440, RLSA-2025:7440, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-4752

## What is CVE-2023-4752?

CVE-2023-4752 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Apple Macos, published on 4 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Use After Free in GitHub repository vim/vim prior to 9.0.1858.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-4752?

It affects 5 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `vim-X11` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-common` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-enhanced` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-filesystem` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-minimal` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-X11` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-X11-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-common` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-common-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-enhanced` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-enhanced-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-minimal-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-X11-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-common-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-enhanced-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-filesystem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-minimal` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim-minimal-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |
| `vim` | Rocky Linux:9 | All versions | 2:8.2.2637-22.el9_6 |

Products: Apple Macos, Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Neovim Neovim, Vim Vim.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-4752?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2023-4752 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-4752 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Macos

- [CVE-2026-65400](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-65400/): Apple macOS Improper Authentication (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-44146](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-44146/): Security feature bypass in macOS (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-44148](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-44148/): Security feature bypass in macOS (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2023-38586](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38586/): Security feature bypass in macOS (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2023-40455](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40455/): Security feature bypass in macOS (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-4752 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-4752 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Apple Macos, published on 4 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-4752 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apple Macos. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4752/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4752/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4752
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4752
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-4752

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4752/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.