CVE-2014-4114

CVE-2014-4114 is a flaw in the Windows Object Linking & Embedding (OLE) component, categorized as improper input validation (CWE-20), that permits remote code execution when a user opens a file containing a specially crafted OLE object. It is triggered entirely through user interaction — opening a malicious document such as an Office/PowerPoint file with an embedded OLE object — with no prior authentication or network service exposed. A successful attacker gains code execution in the context of the logged-on user, enabling follow-on actions such as downloading payloads or moving laterally within an enterprise. All affected Windows releases are exposed; Microsoft addressed the flaw in its November 2014 security updates. Exploitation was observed in the wild by the Sandworm threat group using weaponized PowerPoint files, and the flaw carries a very high likelihood of exploitation (EPSS 81.6%, 100th percentile) and was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-03-03.

What to do: Apply Microsoft's Windows OLE security update from the November 2014 release to all affected Windows hosts, per the CISA KEV required action; the CVSS score is not yet published, so treat this as high priority given the RCE impact. As interim mitigation, limit opening of untrusted Office files containing embedded OLE objects and consider restricting OLE object activation for files from the internet zone. For detection, check endpoints for suspicious outbound SMB connections initiated shortly after a user opens a PowerPoint/Office document, a pattern associated with Sandworm exploitation of this flaw.