Vulnerability · CVE-2014-6278

GNU Bash OS Command Injection Vulnerability

Published Sep 30, 2014 · catalog updated Jun 16, 2026 · GNU GNU Bash

Patch now

CVE-2014-6278 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Oct 23, 2025. Confirm GNU GNU Bash against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Severity: High8.8
Known exploitation: CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
EPSS: 99.68%
Remediation: Remediation guidance
Affected products: cpe gnu/bash · vendor GNU GNU Bash · vendor n/a n/a

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.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

cpe gnu/bash1.14.0
cpe gnu/bash1.14.1
cpe gnu/bash1.14.2
cpe gnu/bash1.14.3
cpe gnu/bash1.14.4
cpe gnu/bash1.14.5
cpe gnu/bash1.14.6
cpe gnu/bash1.14.7
vendor GNU GNU Bashversion unspecified
vendor n/a n/aversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2014-6278

Recommended remediation
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. CISA due date Oct 23, 2025.
Official advisories

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

CVE-2014-6278 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Oct 23, 2025. Confirm GNU GNU Bash against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with 1.14.0, 1.14.1, 1.14.2, 1.14.3, 1.14.4, 1.14.5. Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-78: OS Command Injection. EPSS 99.68%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. A public exploit reference is linked in Sources. That is not the same as confirmed exploitation. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

Sep 30, 2014 · Catalog
Detected
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 s
Oct 2, 2025 · CISA KEV
Known exploited
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Oct 23, 2025 · CISA KEV
Remediation due
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Jun 16, 2026 · Catalog
Updated
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 s

Sources

CISA Cybersecurity AdvisoriesGovernment advisoryCVE-2014-6278
Advisory at a Glance Title Chinese Government-linked Cyber Threat Actors Combine Automated and Hands-on Hacking Tools to Steal Sensitive Data <div class="TableCellContent SCXW40
cisa.gov
CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2014-6278
GNU Bash contains an OS command injection vulnerability which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted environment.
cisa.gov
CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-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 ssh
cve.org
FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2014-6278
30-day exploitation probability 99.7%
first.org
Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference34900
Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.
exploit-db.com
Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference39568
Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.
exploit-db.com
Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference39887
Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.
exploit-db.com
Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleauxiliary_scanner/http/apache_mod_cgi_bash_env
Public module reference (normal). Module source is not copied into this catalog.
rapid7.com
Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_multi/http/apache_mod_cgi_bash_env_exec
Public module reference (excellent). Module source is not copied into this catalog.
rapid7.com
Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_multi/http/cups_bash_env_exec
Public module reference (excellent). Module source is not copied into this catalog.
rapid7.com
NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-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 ssh
nvd.nist.gov
VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2014-6278
GNU Bash contains an OS command injection vulnerability which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted environment.
vulncheck.com

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 17, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.

Priority score

73/100

Evidence confidence: Very high

CISA lists this vulnerability as known to be exploited.

Confirmed exploitation30/30
EPSS probability20/20
CVSS severity13/15
Public exploit10/10
Internet exposure0/10
Product prevalence0/5
Threat research0/5

Decision signals

Four separate signals — do not infer one from another.

High

CVSS severity
8.8 v3.1
Technical impact. Separate from exploitation likelihood.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS probability
99.68% · p99.95%
Estimated probability of exploitation within 30 days (FIRST).
Known exploitation
Yes · CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
CISA KEV since Mar 1, 2018. Ransomware use: Unknown.
Patch availability
Remediation guidance
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Weakness

CWE-78
OS Command Injection
MITRE definition

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