vim (aka gvim) processes VIM control codes that are embedded in a file, which could allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands when another user opens a file containing malicious VIM control codes.

vim (aka gvim) allows local users to modify files being edited by other users via a symlink attack on the backup and swap files, when the victim is editing the file in a world writable directory.

vim 6.0 and 6.1, and possibly other versions, allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands using the libcall feature in modelines, which are not sandboxed but may be executed when vim is used to edit a malicious file, as demonstrated using mutt.

VIM before 6.3 and gVim before 6.3 allow local users to execute arbitrary commands via a file containing a crafted modeline that is executed when the file is viewed using options such as (1) termcap, (2) printdevice, (3) titleold, (4) filetype, (5) syntax, (6) backupext, (7) keymap, (8) patchmode, or (9) langmenu.

The (1) tcltags or (2) vimspell.sh scripts in vim 6.3 allow local users to overwrite or create arbitrary files via a symlink attack on temporary files.

vim 6.3 before 6.3.082, with modelines enabled, allows external user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in the (1) glob or (2) expand commands of a foldexpr expression for calculating fold levels.