Vim is an open source, command line text editor. Vim is distributed with the tar.vim plugin, that allows easy editing and viewing of (compressed or uncompressed) tar files. Starting with 9.1.0858, the tar.vim plugin uses the :read ex command line to append below the cursor position, however the is not sanitized and is taken literally from the tar archive. This allows to execute shell commands via special crafted tar archives. Whether this really happens, depends on the shell being used (shell option, which is set using $SHELL). The issue has been fixed as of Vim patch v9.1.1164
The product constructs all or part of a command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended command when it is sent to a downstream component.
Command injection vulnerabilities typically occur when:
Many protocols and products have their own custom command language. While OS or shell command strings are frequently discovered and targeted, developers may not realize that these other command languages might also be vulnerable to attacks. Command injection is a common problem with wrapper programs.