CVE-2014-4123
Microsoft Internet Explorer Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Description
CVE-2014-4123 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer that allows remote attackers to gain elevated privileges through a specially crafted website. When a user visits a malicious page, the attacker can execute code with higher privileges than the browser sandbox normally permits, potentially gaining control over the affected system. This vulnerability was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. With an EPSS percentile of 97.9%, CVE-2014-4123 represents a high-probability exploit target that organizations should address immediately.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HOpen in CalculatorAffected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| microsoft | internet explorer | 7; 8; 9; 10; 11 |
Multiple CVSS Assessments
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2014/10/14/accessing-risk-for-the-october-2014-security-updates.aspx(Not Applicable, Vendor Advisory)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/60968(Broken Link)
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/70326(Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1031018(Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2014/ms14-056(Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2014-4123(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
Since no specific CWE has been assigned to CVE-2014-4123, the underlying weakness type is unspecified. The vulnerability involves a privilege escalation mechanism in Internet Explorer that allows attackers to break out of the browser's security context through crafted web content. This class of vulnerability typically involves improper validation of security boundaries or insufficient privilege separation within the browser engine.
Impact Analysis
CVE-2014-4123 enables remote exploitation through the network without requiring any authentication from the attacker, though user interaction is required as the victim must visit a crafted web page. Once exploited, an attacker gains elevated privileges on the target system, which can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, installation of malware, and persistent compromise of the affected machine. The privilege escalation nature of this vulnerability means the attacker can escape the Internet Explorer sandbox and execute actions with the privileges of the logged-in user, potentially including full system access on machines where users operate with administrative rights. The EPSS percentile of 97.9% reflects that this vulnerability is among the most likely to be exploited in the entire NVD database, making it a priority for remediation.
Exploit Maturity
CISA has confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2014-4123 in the wild by adding it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog with a remediation deadline of June 15, 2022. The EPSS percentile of 97.9% indicates that this vulnerability ranks in the top 3% of all CVEs in terms of exploitation likelihood, reflecting sustained attacker interest. Given Internet Explorer's historically broad deployment across enterprise environments and the drive-by nature of web-based privilege escalation exploits, this vulnerability was widely targeted during its active exploitation period.
Remediation
- Apply all available security updates from Microsoft for Internet Explorer as specified in the vendor advisory. CISA's required action is to apply updates per vendor instructions.
- Migrate away from Internet Explorer entirely, as Microsoft has officially ended support for the browser. Transition to a modern, supported browser such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox.
- If Internet Explorer must remain in use temporarily, restrict browsing to trusted internal sites only and block access to unknown or untrusted web content via proxy or firewall rules.
- Implement network-level protections such as web content filtering and intrusion detection systems to identify and block exploit attempts targeting Internet Explorer vulnerabilities.
- Review endpoint security configurations to ensure users are not running with administrative privileges, which limits the impact of privilege escalation exploits in the browser.
Technical Details
CVE-2014-4123 exploits an unspecified flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer that allows a remote attacker to escalate privileges via a crafted website. The attack vector is network-based, requiring the victim to navigate to a malicious or compromised web page. The vulnerability resides in how Internet Explorer processes certain objects or elements during page rendering, allowing the attacker to manipulate the browser's internal state and bypass security boundaries intended to contain web content within a sandboxed context. Successful exploitation results in code execution with elevated privileges beyond what the browser sandbox normally allows, giving the attacker the ability to perform actions at the privilege level of the current user. Because no specific CWE was assigned, the exact technical mechanism remains partially opaque, though the privilege escalation pattern is consistent with memory corruption or type confusion vulnerabilities common in legacy Internet Explorer versions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2014-4123 being actively exploited?
Yes, CISA has confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2014-4123 in the wild and added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. The EPSS percentile of 97.9% further indicates very high exploitation activity. Organizations still running affected versions of Internet Explorer should treat this as an urgent priority.
What products are affected by CVE-2014-4123?
CVE-2014-4123 affects Microsoft Internet Explorer. While specific version ranges were not detailed in the available data, the vulnerability was addressed in Microsoft security updates released in 2014. All versions of Internet Explorer that were current at the time of disclosure should be considered potentially affected.
How do I fix CVE-2014-4123?
The recommended fix is to apply all available Microsoft security updates for Internet Explorer. More importantly, organizations should migrate away from Internet Explorer entirely, as it has reached end of life. Transitioning to a modern browser eliminates this and many other unpatched vulnerabilities.
How severe is CVE-2014-4123?
CVE-2014-4123 is a privilege escalation vulnerability with an EPSS percentile of 97.9%, placing it among the most likely-to-be-exploited CVEs. Its inclusion in the CISA KEV catalog confirms real-world exploitation. The vulnerability allows attackers to gain elevated privileges through a crafted website, making it a significant threat to any environment still running Internet Explorer.
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