Industrial Cybersecurity Threat Briefing
“Vulnerability Summary for CVE-2014-6278,” National Vulnerability Database, September 30, 2014, modified June 14, 2016,…
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CVE-2014-6278 KEVPublic exploit High · 8.8 EPSS 99.7%
GNU Bash OS Command Injection Vulnerability
GNU · GNU Bash
Summary
GNU Bash (through 4.3 bash43-026) fails to properly parse function definitions contained in environment variable values, which is an injection flaw in how Bash processes its inherited environment. An attacker with network access can execute arbitrary commands by supplying a crafted environment, as demonstrated through OpenSSH sshd's ForceCommand feature, Apache HTTP Server's mod_cgi and mod_cgid modules, and DHCP client scripts, in any setting where environment variables cross a privilege boundary into Bash execution, and the attack requires user interaction and no authentication.
Official description · NVD
GNU Bash through 4.3 bash43-026 does not properly parse function definitions in the values of environment variables, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted environment, as demonstrated by vectors involving the ForceCommand feature in OpenSSH sshd, the mod_cgi and mod_cgid modules in the Apache HTTP Server, scripts executed by unspecified DHCP clients, and other situations in which setting the environment occurs across a privilege boundary from Bash execution. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2014-6271, CVE-2014-7169, and CVE-2014-6277.
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
73.0 / 100
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 1
- Tactics
- 1/15
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.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 3 years after disclosure. Public exploit code (Metasploit) was available 6 days before disclosure.
- Public exploit codeMetasploit6 days before
- Disclosedday 0
- First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidence+3 yrs
- Added to CISA KEVEU database agrees+11 yrs
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
Patch historyEarlier and later CVEs in the same code, in date order. It shows when a fix was bypassed or incomplete and which version finally fixed it.
See the family treeA fix was bypassed or incomplete 3 times over 6 days.
Same bug familyLinked by evidence that a fix failed or the same code was patched again. Oldest first.
incomplete fixHigh
Why these are linked: Link confidenceHow strong the evidence is that two CVEs are related. High: stated in the CVE text or linked in an advisory, or the same code was patched one release apart. Medium: the same code, or a version step plus a similar description. Low: similar description only.
- Stated in the CVE text
NOTE: the original fix for this issue was incorrect; CVE-2014-7169 has been assigned to cover the vulnerability that is still present after the incorrect fix.
- Stated in the CVE text
NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2014-6271.
- Similar weakness in the same product (machine-matched)same product + CWE + description similarity
- Stated in the CVE text
incomplete fixHigh
Why these are linked: Link confidenceHow strong the evidence is that two CVEs are related. High: stated in the CVE text or linked in an advisory, or the same code was patched one release apart. Medium: the same code, or a version step plus a similar description. Low: similar description only.
- Stated in the CVE text
NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2014-6271 and CVE-2014-7169.
- Stated in the CVE text
incomplete fixHigh
Why these are linked: Link confidenceHow strong the evidence is that two CVEs are related. High: stated in the CVE text or linked in an advisory, or the same code was patched one release apart. Medium: the same code, or a version step plus a similar description. Low: similar description only.
- Stated in the CVE text
NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2014-6271, CVE-2014-7169, and CVE-2014-6277.
This CVECVE-2014-6278GNU Bash OS Command Injection30 Sep 2014KEV- Stated in the CVE text
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
1 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 1ExecutionTA0002
Unix Shell T1059.004 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
arbitrary command execution through Bash shell
allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted environment
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.
- Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationT1190 needs user interaction; not a public-facing exploit
- Exploitation for Client ExecutionT1203 CTID attack_to_cve Phase 1 "Uncategorized" mapping (not staged by impact)
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 19 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-2014-6278 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.
Unix ShellT1059.00419 general rules
- Linux Reverse Shell Indicatorcriticaltest
- AWS EC2 Startup Shell Script Changehightest
- Equation Group Indicatorshightest
- JexBoss Command Sequencehightest
- Shell Invocation via Env Command - Linuxhightest
- Suspicious Activity in Shell Commandshightest
- Suspicious Reverse Shell Command Linehightest
- Axios NPM Compromise Indicators - Linuxhighexperimental
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Named in 1 threat report1 reportboozallen.com
Reports are matched by finding the exact id CVE-2014-6278 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.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 202621 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX