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Threats / Microsoft / CVE-2014-4114
CVE-2014-4114 · EUVD no mirror located · GCVE no mirror located Verified 2026-06-22

Microsoft Windows vulnerability

A remote code execution vulnerability in Windows OLE allows attackers to execute arbitrary code when a user opens a specially crafted file.

Verdict

Today item — known-exploited.

This OLE object validation flaw enables unauthenticated remote code execution through file-based attack vectors. The high EPSS score and active exploitation in the wild indicate immediate risk to Windows systems.

CISA KEV Yes · 2022-03-033EPSS 0.81628 (verify live)4
01

Is it exploitable?

— the evidence, ranked above the score
Reported exploitation
22 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-03-03).
CISA KEV ↗Confirmed
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.81628 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Microsoft, Windows. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
NVD ↗Reported
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-20 Improper Input Validation.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
NVD ↗Reported
02

Who’s exploiting it?

— attribution turns risk into urgency
Attribution not established

No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.

03

Why it matters

— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board
1

Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1

Attacker
Craft a malicious OLE object embedded in a document file and distribute it via email or web.
Business
Users receive seemingly legitimate documents that trigger code execution upon opening, compromising endpoint security.
2

Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2

Attacker
Exploit the OLE parsing weakness to bypass validation checks and inject executable code.
Business
Attackers gain code execution in the user's security context without additional user interaction beyond file opening.
3

Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3

Attacker
Execute arbitrary commands or install malware on the compromised system.
Business
Systems become infected with persistent threats, leading to data theft, lateral movement, or operational disruption.
04

What to do

— defensible action
  • Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05

Coverage & confidence

— what we know, and what we don’t

Established (cited)

  • KEV listing (CISA)
  • EPSS probability (FIRST)
  • 22 reported-exploitation source(s)
  • CWE weakness mapping (NVD)
  • Catalogued by microsoft (CNA)
  • Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden

  • No EUVD / GCVE mirror in feed — single-authority dependency for the identifier.
  • EPSS & exposure are time-varying; verify live at the source.
  • Threat-actor attribution not established from feed data — absence of a name is not absence of compromise.
  • No finder/reporter credit recorded in the public CVE entry — the work behind this find is unattributed.
  • Disclosure & credit2
    Catalogued by microsoftCNA
    Credited with finding itNo finder named in the public CVE record — the work behind this find is unattributed.