CVE-2014-1812

Windows Group Policy can store passwords for certain setups so systems can configure themselves. This vulnerability lets a remote attacker—who just needs a normal user login—pull those stored passwords from the network share (SYSVOL) and then use them like admin credentials. In practice, that can turn a low-privilege account into full control of a Windows machine.

This matters if your business runs affected Microsoft Windows versions (including Windows client and common Windows Server editions) and you use Group Policy in your organization. Because the attack requires network access and valid low-privilege credentials, it’s most relevant to environments where attackers can reach internal systems (for example, after obtaining a user account) or where malware can run as a normal user.
Only a risk if Group Policy is enabled and the attacker can access the SYSVOL share using remote authenticated access.

This is urgent because real attackers have used it in the wild, including ransomware campaigns (it’s in the CISA KEV catalog). The weakness can allow a low-privilege network user to steal privileged credentials and then take full control, with no need for the victim to click anything.
Treat this as a priority patching item for all affected Windows systems where Group Policy is in use.

How to confirm exposure

1. Identify affected systems: find endpoints and servers running the listed Windows versions (Windows Vista Service Pack 2, Windows 7 Service Pack 1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2012 Gold, and Windows Server 2012 R2).
2. Confirm Group Policy usage: confirm Group Policy is enabled/used in your domain (since the vulnerability relies on Windows Group Policy password distribution behavior).
3. Check patch state: confirm whether both KB2928120 and KB2961899 are installed (vendor fix for MS14-025).
4. Focus on critical assets first: prioritize domain controllers and systems that serve or heavily depend on SYSVOL/Group Policy operations.

Target fix / upgrade

• Apply the vendor remediation associated with MS14-025 by installing KB2928120 and KB2961899 on affected systems.

If patching is delayed (practical containment)

• Restrict network access to the SYSVOL/Group Policy mechanisms to the minimum needed (reduce the chance that an attacker with a low-privilege credential can reach the relevant share).
• Monitor and investigate any signs of low-privilege users accessing SYSVOL unusually, and any subsequent admin logins that follow shortly after.

Monitoring after patching

• Review authentication logs for suspicious sequences: a low-privilege login followed quickly by privileged actions or administrator logins.
• Look for abnormal access patterns to the SYSVOL network share.

CISA timeline

• This is in CISA KEV with a remediation due date of 2022-05-03; if you haven’t already applied the MS14-025 updates, treat that as past-due.

Severity is HIGH (reported CVSS 8.8) and the scenario is network-reachable with low privileges and no user interaction. The core issue is improper handling of password distribution in Windows Group Policy Preferences, where stored credentials can be obtained via the SYSVOL share. Once the attacker retrieves those passwords, they can impersonate high-value accounts (including administrator-level control) and then compromise the system.

Exploitation status: listed in CISA KEV, meaning it is confirmed to be exploited in the wild (not just a theoretical weakness). The findings state it was used in ransomware campaigns, aligning with the “require action: apply updates per vendor instructions” guidance.

Exploit maturity: no public exploit code is listed in the findings, but confirmed real-world use still warrants immediate remediation.

EPSS is provided as a prediction (with a falling trend), but the KEV status is the deciding factor for urgency in this case.