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🛡️ CVE-2021-4173 on Ubuntu — vim

⚪ Unknown ✅ No Known Exploit OSV
N/A
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

vim is vulnerable to Use After Free

Distribution advisory

This page covers CVE-2021-4173 as tracked by Ubuntu, for the package vim. The fix is available in version 2:8.2.3995-1ubuntu2; earlier versions remain affected.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs low-level privileges on the target. A user must be tricked into taking some action. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality low, integrity high, availability high.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Local — a local account, shell or session on the host is needed.
  • Attack complexity: Low — the attack works reliably, with no preparation.
  • Privileges required: Low — an ordinary user account is enough.
  • User interaction: Required — someone has to click, open or visit something.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: Low — limited, and the attacker does not choose what is affected.
  • Integrity impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Availability impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.

Affected software

UBUNTU-CVE-2021-4173 is recorded against 1 package.

  • vim (fixed in 2:8.2.3995-1ubuntu2)

Timeline and source

Published on 27 December 2021 and last revised on 16 July 2025. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. Record sourced from OSV.

References

ubuntu.com (Report)
huntr.dev (Report)
github.com (Report)
www.cve.org (Report)

Other advisories for this package

vim has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

CVE-2021-4173 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity Unknown
CVSS Score N/A
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source OSV
Published 2021-12-27
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2025-07-16
Fix URL N/A

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
vim — 2:8.2.3995-1ubuntu2

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ⓘ Data Notice: The information presented above has been compiled from publicly available internet sources. Boteraser aggregates this data solely for informational purposes and does not independently classify, evaluate, or endorse any findings about the vulnerabilities listed. The accuracy and completeness of this information is the sole responsibility of the original publishers. Boteraser and its operators accept no liability for any decisions made based on this data.

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