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CVE-2014-1812 KEVRansomwarePublic exploit High · 8.8 EPSS 65.1%
Microsoft Windows Group Policy Preferences Password Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Microsoft · Windows
Summary
The Group Policy implementation in Microsoft Windows (including Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, 8.1, and Server 2012) does not properly handle distribution of passwords, leaving credentials stored in Group Policy Preferences exposed. A remote attacker who already holds valid domain credentials can read those credentials through the SYSVOL share and use them to gain elevated privileges, with no user interaction required.
Official description · NVD
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."
Priority scorePatchfirst’s 0 to 100 ranking. It adds points for CISA KEV listing, ransomware use, EPSS, threat reports, public exploit code and CVSS. Every CVE page shows the breakdown. Breakdown
82.9 / 100
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 1
- Tactics
- 5/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.How attackers get in
What they do
Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited 1 day before it was disclosed. Public exploit code (PoC-in-GitHub) appeared 9 years after disclosure.
- First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidence1 day before
- Disclosedday 0
- Added to CISA KEVknown ransomware use; EU database agrees+7 yrs
- Public exploit codePoC-in-GitHub+9 yrs
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
2 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order, 2 cited passages 2Initial AccessTA0001
Valid Accounts T1078 Medium Confidence (technique links)How sure Patchfirst is that an ATT&CK technique applies to this CVE. High and medium links are shown by default; low ones come from early or generic mappings, text matching, or contradict the CVE’s details. also Persistence, Privilege Escalation, Stealth
AI mapping from the description · how it is exploited
Attacker uses valid domain account access
remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive credential information
Credential AccessTA0006
Group Policy Preferences T1552.006 Medium Confidence (technique links)How sure Patchfirst is that an ATT&CK technique applies to this CVE. High and medium links are shown by default; low ones come from early or generic mappings, text matching, or contradict the CVE’s details.
AI mapping from the description · primary impact
Group Policy passwords exposed in SYSVOL
does not properly handle distribution of passwords
Lower-confidence links (2)
These come from early or generic mappings, text matching, or contradict this CVE’s details (for example a public-facing technique on a bug that needs a user to open a file). Shown for completeness.
- OS Credential DumpingT1003 CTID attack_to_cve Phase 1 "Uncategorized" mapping (not staged by impact)
- Credentials In FilesT1552.001 CTID attack_to_cve Phase 1 "Uncategorized" mapping (not staged by impact)
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 62 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
0Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2014-1812 directly.CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗
General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
Valid AccountsT107856 general rules
- Win Susp Computer Name Containing Samtheadmincriticaltest
- Account Created And Deleted Within A Close Time Framehightest
- Activity From Anonymous IP Addresshightest
- Atypical Travelhightest
- Azure AD Threat Intelligencehightest
- Azure Subscription Permission Elevation Via AuditLogshightest
- External Remote SMB Logon from Public IPhightest
- Impossible Travelhightest
Group Policy PreferencesT1552.0066 general rules
- Findstr GPP Passwordshightest
- LSASS Process Reconnaissance Via Findstr.EXEhightest
- Access To Potentially Sensitive Sysvol Files By Uncommon Applicationsmediumtest
- Access To Sysvol Policies Share By Uncommon Processmediumtest
- Permission Misconfiguration Reconnaissance Via Findstr.EXEmediumtest
- Suspicious SYSVOL Domain Group Policy Accessmediumtest
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Named in 1 threat report1 reportcyber.gov.au
Reports are matched by finding the exact id CVE-2014-1812 in their text; nobody has reviewed the match. One passage is shown per report, at most 320 characters, linked to the original.
Also mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
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