CVE-2014-6278
CVE-2014-6278 is a security flaw in GNU Bash. Attackers can run commands on GNU Bash. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 2 Oct 2025.[1]
GNU Bash is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. GNU has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a bash OS command injection in GNU GNU Bash. In its words: “GNU Bash contains an OS command injection vulnerability which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted environment.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “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.”[2]
The underlying weakness is OS command injection (CWE-78), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 8.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by the organisation that published the CVE using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; GNU’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as GNU GNU Bash.
Most families won’t have GNU Bash; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 2 Oct 2025, 4,020 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 23 Oct 2025 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at over 99%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
GNU has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.GNU Bash is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 23 Oct 2025 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 8.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at over 99%.[4] |
See also
Other GNU flaws
- CVE-2026-24061, GNU InetUtils: argument injection ·
- CVE-2023-4911, GNU C Library: c library buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2014-7169, GNU Bourne-Again Shell (Bash): arbitrary code execution ·
- CVE-2014-6271, GNU Bourne-Again Shell (Bash): arbitrary code execution ·
Other OS command injection flaws
- CVE-2026-110447, Collabora Online – Built-in CODE Server: online – built-in CODE server OS command injection ·
- CVE-2026-106931, EG Secure Solutions SiteGuard Server Edition: OS command injection ·
- CVE-2026-83549, SonicWall SMA1000 Appliances: OS command injection ·
- CVE-2026-49869, Kestra OSS: OSS OS command injection ·
- CVE-2026-73570, Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS): OS command injection ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2025-4008, Smartbedded Meteobridge: command injection ·
- CVE-2025-21043, Samsung Mobile Devices: out-of-bounds write ·
- CVE-2017-1000353, Jenkins: remote code execution ·
- CVE-2015-7755, Juniper ScreenOS: improper authentication ·
Every GNU flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in October 2025
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “GNU Bash OS Command Injection Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 2 Oct 2025.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2014-6278 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 30 Sep 2014.
- ^ GNU. Advisories and fixes: support.broadcom.com, sec.cloudapps.cisco.com, ibm.com, suse.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.997, percentile 100.0, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2014-6278”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.