CVE-2014-6324 — Microsoft Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
The Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2 allows remote authenticated domain users to obtain domain administrator privileges via a forged signature in a ticket, as exploited in the wild in November 2014, aka "Kerberos Checksum Vulnerability."
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Exploited by 1 threat actor(s) (MITRE ATT&CK)+10
- Public exploit/PoC (metasploit, exploitdb)+20
- EPSS 87.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — docs.microsoft.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
CISA required action CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal deadline: Apr 15, 2022 — passed 1644 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows 8.1…).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Windows 7 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows 8 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows 8.1 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2003 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2008 | versions not specified by the sourceversion r2-sp1 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 | versions not specified by the sourceversion r2 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 9.0 | CVSS 2.0 | High | 8.0 | 10.0 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0) CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- MS14-068 Microsoft Kerberos Checksum Validation Vulnerability normal Nov 18, 2014
- Microsoft Windows Kerberos - Privilege Escalation (MS14-068) verified Dec 5, 2014
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
Threat actors exploiting this CVE MITRE ATT&CK
According to MITRE ATT&CK.
Threat Group-3390 G0027EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 87.34%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Mar 25, 2022 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · microsoft/windows 7, microsoft/windows 8, microsoft/windows 8.1, microsoft/windows server 2003, microsoft/windows server
- CVSS changed · 8.8
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2022
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2014
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
8 on the record
- blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2014/11/18/additional-information-about-cve-2014-6324.a
- docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2014/ms14-068
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1031237
- secunia.com/advisories/62556
- www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA14-323A
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/70958
- marc.info/
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-97844 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97842 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97839 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97843 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97840 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
- Medium CVE-2026-97841 Role: DNS Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability 2d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2014-6324 is "Microsoft Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) Privilege Escalation Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Windows 7 (Microsoft); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 8.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 87.34% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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