LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2019-12735: getchar.c in Vim before 8.1.1365 and Neovim before 0.3.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS co...

getchar.c in Vim before 8.1.1365 and Neovim before 0.3.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands via the :source! command in a modeline, as demonstrated by execute in Vim, and assert_fails or nvim_input in Neovim.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

A malicious file could make vulnerable Vim or Neovim run operating-system commands when the file is opened or processed with modelines enabled. This is a workstation and server administration risk, not a typical internet-facing service bug. The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation.

Executive priority

Prioritize remediation where administrators or developers use Vim or Neovim on sensitive systems. The business risk is command execution from a malicious file, with no provided evidence of active exploitation. Treat as high priority for patching, not an emergency without exposure.

Technical view

CVE-2019-12735 affects Vim before 8.1.1365 and Neovim before 0.3.6. The issue is in Vim getchar.c handling of :source! inside a modeline, allowing command execution paths demonstrated for Vim and Neovim. Upstream fixes and multiple Linux distribution advisories are listed.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely on developer, administrator, CI, and server systems that use vulnerable Vim or Neovim to open untrusted files. Appliances or Linux distributions may also include affected packages, as indicated by vendor advisories.

Exploitation context

The bundle references public research and upstream fixes, so exploit knowledge was public in 2019. The KEV flag is false, and no provided source confirms active exploitation. User interaction or a workflow that opens crafted files appears necessary.

Researcher notes

The key exposure condition is vulnerable modeline parsing in Vim and Neovim before the stated fixed versions. The bundle lacks CVSS and CWE data, so severity is based on impact and trigger context. Validate by version and vendor package status, not by reproducing exploit behavior.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade Vim to 8.1.1365 or later where vendor packaging supports it.
  • Upgrade Neovim to 0.3.6 or later where vendor packaging supports it.
  • Apply relevant Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Red Hat, or openSUSE security updates.
  • If patching is delayed, check vendor guidance for modeline-related risk reduction.
  • Limit editing of untrusted files on systems that still run affected versions.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory installed Vim and Neovim versions across workstations, servers, images, and CI runners.
  • Confirm packages map to fixed upstream versions or vendor advisory builds.
  • Check Linux distribution security advisory status for each supported operating system.
  • Review workflows where users or automation open files from email, repositories, tickets, or uploads.
  • Document exceptions where affected editors remain installed and compensating controls are relied on.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
12

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2019-12735 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
26Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.