# CVE-2025-55158: Vim double-free vulnerability during Vim9 script import operations

> A double-free vulnerability in Vim allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a crash by tricking users into opening a malicious Vim script.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.9 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 Aug 2025
- **Updated:** 12 Aug 2025
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-55158, GHSA-5fg8-wvx3-583x

## What is CVE-2025-55158?

CVE-2025-55158 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Vim Vim, published on 11 Aug 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. In versions from 9.1.1231 to before 9.1.1406, when processing nested tuples during Vim9 script import operations, an error during evaluation can trigger a double-free in Vim’s internal typed value (typval_T) management. Specifically, the clear_tv() function may attempt to free memory that has already been deallocated, due to improper lifetime handling in the handle_import / ex_import code paths. The vulnerability can only be triggered if a user explicitly opens and executes a specially crafted Vim script. This issue has been patched in version 9.1.1406.

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-55158?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vim Vim.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-55158?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-55158 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-55158 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Vim Vim

- [CVE-2020-20703](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-20703/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-6349](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6349/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-6350](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6350/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-5953](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-5953/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2008-3075](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3075/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-55158 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-55158 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Vim Vim, published on 11 Aug 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-55158 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Vim Vim. 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-2025-55158/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55158/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-55158
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-55158
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-55158

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55158/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.