CVE-2014-1812
High 8.8 Exploited in the wild (KEV) Used in ransomware campaigns
Confirmed active exploitation — CISA KEV catalog
- Name
- Microsoft Windows Group Policy Preferences Password Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
- Added to catalog
- Remediation due date (US federal)
- Required action
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Description
The Group Policy implementation in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2 does not properly handle distribution of passwords, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive credential information and consequently gain privileges by leveraging access to the SYSVOL share, as exploited in the wild in May 2014, aka "Group Policy Preferences Password Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."
Metrics
- CVSS 3.1
-
8.8 (HIGH)
Score source: CNA
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - EPSS — exploit probability
- 65% (percentile: 99) as of 1 November 2026
- CWE
- CWE-255, CWE-522
Affected products
microsoft: windows 7; microsoft: windows 8; microsoft: windows 8.1; microsoft: windows server 2008; microsoft: windows server 2012; microsoft: windows vista
References
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2014/ms14-0… PatchVendor Advisory
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2014/ms14-0… PatchVendor Advisory
- http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2014/05/13/ms14-025-an-update-for-group-… Third Party Advisory
- http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2014/05/13/ms14-025-an-update-for-group-… Third Party Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2014… US Government Resource