# CVE-2014-6278

**CISA KEV**

> As of 2025-12-30, CVE-2014-6278 is a HIGH-severity vulnerability, CVSS v3.1 8.8, EPSS 99.6% (99.9th percentile). It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2025-10-02), with a US federal remediation deadline of 2025-10-23. Threadlinqs Intelligence links 1 tracked threat campaign to CVE-2014-6278, most recently “Chinese Government-linked Actors Enabled by Integrity Technology Group Combine Automated and Hands-on Hacking Tools to Steal Sensitive Data (CISA AA26-281A)”.

**Last updated:** 2025-12-30

## What is CVE-2014-6278?

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.

The record classifies CVE-2014-6278 under weakness class [CWE-78](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cwe/CWE-78). Its CVSS v3 base vector states that the flaw is reachable remotely over the network, needs no prior authentication, needs a user to take an action first, and has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability. The identifier was first published 4393 days ago.

## Severity and exploitation probability

- **CVSS v3.1 base score:** 8.8 — HIGH (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **EPSS (FIRST):** 99.6% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.9% of all scored CVEs
- **CISA KEV:** Listed since 2025-10-02, federal remediation deadline 2025-10-23
- **Threadlinqs priority:** 9/10 — CISA KEV-listed, which Threadlinqs floors at 9
- **Published:** 2014-09-30, last modified 2025-12-30

## Is CVE-2014-6278 being exploited?

CISA added CVE-2014-6278 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-10-02, which means the agency holds evidence of exploitation in the wild; US federal civilian agencies had to remediate it by 2025-10-23 under BOD 22-01. Weaponised exploit code for CVE-2014-6278 is publicly available. 1 public proof-of-concept repository is tracked for this identifier. It currently carries a trending score of 48 in the Threadlinqs vulnerability feed.

- [trickest/cve](https://github.com/trickest/cve/blob/main/2014/CVE-2014-6278.md) (trickest)

## Affected products and versions

No affected-product or package list has been recorded for CVE-2014-6278 in the tracked sources. The vendor advisory and the references below are the authoritative statement of what is affected.

## How to fix CVE-2014-6278

Because CVE-2014-6278 is KEV-listed, US federal civilian agencies were required to apply the vendor fix, or stop using the product, by 2025-10-23. No vendor patch reference has been recorded for CVE-2014-6278 in the tracked sources. Follow the references below for a fix, and treat any affected deployment as exposed until the vendor states otherwise.

## Threat activity tracking CVE-2014-6278

1 tracked threat in the Threadlinqs corpus references CVE-2014-6278, either in the campaign’s CVE list or as an indicator on the campaign record.

- [Chinese Government-linked Actors Enabled by Integrity Technology Group Combine Automated and Hands-on Hacking Tools to Steal Sensitive Data (CISA AA26-281A)](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-3054) — HIGH · 2026-10-08

## Sources

Enriched from CVE.org, FIRST EPSS, CISA KEV, GitHub Security Advisories, public proof-of-concept repositories. Last verified by Threadlinqs on 2026-10-10.

**Vendor advisory and patch**

- [www-01.ibm.com](http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ssg1S1004897)
- [www-01.ibm.com (docview)](http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21685749)
- [marc.info — vendor advisory](http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=141577137423233&w=2)
- [supportcenter.checkpoint.com](https://supportcenter.checkpoint.com/supportcenter/portal?eventSubmit_doGoviewsolutiondetails=&solutionid=sk102673&src=securityAlerts)
- [linux.oracle.com](http://linux.oracle.com/errata/ELSA-2014-3093)

**Third-party advisory**

- [jvn.jp — third party advisory](http://jvn.jp/en/jp/JVN55667175/index.html)
- [secunia.com — third party advisory](http://secunia.com/advisories/60433)
- [secunia.com — third party advisory (61816)](http://secunia.com/advisories/61816)
- [secunia.com — third party advisory (61442)](http://secunia.com/advisories/61442)

**Other references**

- [packetstormsecurity.com](http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/137344/Sun-Secure-Global-Desktop-Oracle-Global-Desktop-Shellshock.html)

_Showing 10 of 20 recorded references._

Canonical: https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2014-6278
Full detection coverage and IOCs for threats exploiting CVE-2014-6278 via the Threadlinqs MCP server (Purple tier): https://intel.threadlinqs.com/mcp