How severe is CVE-2014-6278?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2014-6278 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2014-6278?

Affected package information for CVE-2014-6278 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I fix CVE-2014-6278?

No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2014-6278 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2014-6278 in my code and dependencies?

Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).

How do I mitigate CVE-2014-6278 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.

Is CVE-2014-6278 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 8 known exploit references for CVE-2014-6278, including 5 documented proof-of-concept exploits on Exploit-DB and 3 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2014-6278?

CVE-2014-6278 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 99.6%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Is CVE-2014-6278 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2014-6278 (GNU Bash OS Command Injection Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2025-10-02. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2025-10-23. The required action was: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2014-6278?

CVE-2014-6278 is classified as OS Command Injection (CWE-78). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2014-6278?

4 Metasploit modules reference CVE-2014-6278, which lowers the barrier to weaponization. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2014-6278 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2014-6278 was published on September 30, 2014 and was last updated on April 16, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CISA KEV · ACTIVELY EXPLOITED

CVE-2014-6278 — Red Hat

CVE-2014-6278 is a OS Command Injection vulnerability. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2025-10-02) — treat it as actively exploited and patch now. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.

Published

Sep 30, 2014

Updated

Apr 16, 2026

Affected

1 product

Patched

See advisory

Exploits

8 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 23, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

Confirmed by CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-10-02. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2025-10-23.
A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA (KEV catalog and SSVC triage) for CVE-2014-6278.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

99.6%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk-0.01%

Lower risk than most CVEs100th percentile — riskier than 100% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

Description

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.

Affected Products

1 product · 28 configurations

Application

bashgnu

25 versions

1.14.01.14.11.14.21.14.31.14.41.14.51.14.61.14.72.02.012.01.12.02

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

EDB-34900remotelinux✓ Verified

Apache mod_cgi - 'Shellshock' Remote Command Injection

by Federico Galatolo · Oct 6, 2014

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-39568remotehardware

Cisco UCS Manager 2.1(1b) - Remote Command Injection (Shellshock)

by thatchriseckert · Mar 16, 2016

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-34860remotelinux

GNU bash 4.3.11 - Environment Variable dhclient

by @0x00string · Oct 2, 2014

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-36933remotelinux✓ Verified

dhclient 4.1 - Bash Environment Variable Command Injection (Shellshock)

by fdiskyou · Sep 29, 2014

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-39887webappscgi

Sun Secure Global Desktop and Oracle Global Desktop 4.61.915 - Command Injection (Shellshock)

by lastc0de · Jun 6, 2016

Exploit-DB Source

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vulnerability

Detect
Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).
Remediation status
No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2014-6278 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does.

Fixing This On Your OS

If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.

UbuntuHIGH

USN-2380-1Ubuntu

Frequently Asked Questions

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CVE-2014-6278 — Red Hat

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

EPSS Exploitation Probability

Description

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Remediation status

Mitigate without a patch

Fixing This On Your OS

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2014-6278 in your dependencies?