# CVE-2026-73072: Vim heap buffer overflow in spell file parsing

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-73072-vim-heap-buffer-overflow-in-spell-file-parsing  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-11. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-73072 · Severity: info · CVSS 7.3 · Published 2026-08-11

Vim is a widely-used text editor that supports spell checking via spell files. A crafted spell file can trigger a heap buffer overflow in Vim's spell file parser, allowing an attacker who can trick a user into opening a malicious spell file to corrupt memory and potentially execute code or crash the editor.

Technologies: [Vim](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/vim). Vendors: [Vim](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/vim).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-73072 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-73072 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-73072?** Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 7.3, published 11 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Vim prior to 9.2.0846.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-73072?** A patch was published on 2026-07-24: Fixed in Vim v9.2.0846 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-73072 attacked?** It is attacked with local access.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-73072?** Check whether you run Vim at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is a heap buffer overflow in the set_sofo() function in src/spellfile.c. The root cause is that sl_sal_first[] is reused without being reset between processing SN_SAL and SN_SOFO sections in a spell file. When a crafted spell file contains an empty SN_SAL section followed by an SN_SOFO section, the set_sofo() function under-counts multi-byte character mappings, allocates an undersized heap buffer, and writes past its end. The attack requires user interaction (opening a malicious spell file). The vulnerability was fixed in Vim 9.2.0846.

## Affected products

- Vim Vim prior to 9.2.0846

## Timeline

- 2026-08-11: disclosed
- 2026-07-24: patched: Fixed in Vim v9.2.0846

## References

- [https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/05c41c922309c7a11b6ec2f124be66551c90d66a](https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/05c41c922309c7a11b6ec2f124be66551c90d66a)
- [https://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v9.2.0846](https://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v9.2.0846)

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