How severe is CVE-2014-1812?

CVE-2014-1812 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2014-1812 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2014-1812 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2021-11-03, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2014-1812?

CVE-2014-1812 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 7. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2014-1812?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2014-1812 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2014-1812 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2014-1886. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2021-11-03).

When was CVE-2014-1812 published?

CVE-2014-1812 was published on 2014-05-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2014-1812

CVE-2014-1812 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 7 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2021-11-03). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-255.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 9.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 65% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2021-11-03)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2014-1886
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2021-11-03)
Weakness: CWE-255
Affected product: Microsoft Windows 7
Published: 2014-05-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

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."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2014-1812?: 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."
How severe is CVE-2014-1812?: CVE-2014-1812 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2014-1812 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2014-1812 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2021-11-03, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2014-1812?: CVE-2014-1812 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 7. In total, 9 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2014-1812?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2014-1812 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2014-1812 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2014-1886. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2021-11-03).
When was CVE-2014-1812 published?: CVE-2014-1812 was published on 2014-05-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (9)

cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_7:-:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_8:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_8.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:-:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:r2:sp1:*:*:*:*:itanium:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2008:r2:sp1:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2012:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2012:r2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_vista:-:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*

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