CVE-2014-1812

Microsoft Windows: Group Policy Preferences Password Privilege Escalation

As of , CVE-2014-1812 in Microsoft Windows is on CISA's list of exploited vulnerabilities: CISA listed it on . Our patch-first group: Patch this week.

Exploited
Yes: CISA listed it on 3 November 2021
US federal deadline
3 May 2022181 days after CISA listed it. US federal civilian agencies must fix it by then.
Used in ransomware campaigns
KnownCISA changed it from Unknown to Known on 12 May 2025.
EPSS score
0.65Higher than 99% of the CVEs EPSS scores. EPSS estimates the chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days.
EPSS when listed
Not availableCISA listed it before 4 February 2022, where the EPSS files we read begin.
Public exploit
1 Metasploit module
Fix
No vendor link in CISA's entry

What CISA says to do

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

CISA's required action

What the flaw is

Microsoft Windows Active Directory contains a privilege escalation vulnerability due to the way it distributes passwords that are configured using Group Policy preferences. An authenticated attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could decrypt the passwords and use them to elevate privileges on the domain.

CISA's 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."

The CVE record's description, from microsoft

CVE published
14 May 2014
Assigned by
microsoft
CVSS
8.8 High (CVSS 3.1, from CISA-ADP)
CWE-522
Insufficiently Protected Credentials
CWE-255
Credentials Management Errors
CISA SSVC, exploitation
active
CISA SSVC, automatable
no
CISA SSVC, technical impact
partial

Timeline

  1. The CVE record was published.
  2. CISA added it to its list of exploited vulnerabilities.
  3. The US federal deadline to fix it.
  4. CISA changed its entry. Ransomware use: Unknown to Known.

Public exploits

Facts from Metasploit's module list and Exploit-DB's index; we never copy exploit code.

  • Metasploit: SMB Group Policy Preference Saved Passwords Enumerationauxiliary module, rank normal

Windows: other exploited entries

VulnerabilityProductOur groupListedDeadlineEPSS
CVE-2025-60710Link FollowingMicrosoft WindowsPatch nowRansomware use, listed within a year0.05
CVE-2008-4250Buffer OverflowMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.99; verified Exploit-DB entry0.99
CVE-2008-0015Video ActiveX Control Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.77; verified Exploit-DB entry0.77
CVE-2013-3918Out-of-Bounds WriteMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.74; verified Exploit-DB entry0.74
CVE-2010-2568Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.91; verified Exploit-DB entry0.91
CVE-2015-0016TS WebProxy Directory TraversalMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.76; verified Exploit-DB entry0.76
CVE-2015-2426Adobe Type Manager Library Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.87; verified Exploit-DB entry0.87
CVE-2014-6332Object Linking & Embedding (OLE) Automation Array Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.95; verified Exploit-DB entry0.95
CVE-2017-0146SMB Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekRansomware use; Metasploit module; EPSS 0.90; verified Exploit-DB entry0.90
CVE-2014-4114Object Linking & Embedding (OLE) Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft WindowsPatch this weekMetasploit module; EPSS 0.82; verified Exploit-DB entry0.82

All 174 entries for Windows

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