Exploited CVE from 2014, added in 2022

CVE-2014-4077

Microsoft IME Japanese Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

At a glance

Exploited. Added to CISA’s catalog of exploited vulnerabilities on May 25, 2022.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows (category Operating systems, indicative classification). Name in CISA’s catalog: Microsoft Input Method Editor (IME) Japanese.

Microsoft component: Shell, Explorer and user interface (Windows: services and components).

What should I do?

Apply the security update from Microsoft.

Deadline set by CISA for US federal agencies: 21 days (due June 15, 2022). It only binds those agencies, but it is a useful measure of urgency.

CVE-2014-4077 in Microsoft’s Security Update Guide
Microsoft security advisories page (general page, not the advisory for this vulnerability)
The vendor’s specific advisory is listed in the NVD references: CVE-2014-4077 on the NVD website.

Original text of the required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Timeline

November 11, 2014 Vulnerability published Publication date (NVD)
May 25, 2022 Exploitation confirmed Added to CISA’s KEV catalog
June 15, 2022 CISA deadline Remediation deadline set for US federal agencies

The facts, with their sources

Exploitation confirmed: Yes, on May 25, 2022 Date added to the catalog of exploited vulnerabilities. Exploitation itself may have started earlier. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
Ransomware: No known use to date That does not guarantee it is not being used: the information is not public. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
Hunt for compromise: Not requested by CISA Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
CISA required action: Apply the security update from Microsoft. Rewritten by this site from CISA’s original text. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
CISA deadline: June 15, 2022, 21 days Set for US federal agencies: a measure of urgency, not an obligation elsewhere. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
Microsoft patch: Not available Source: Security Update Guide, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
Vulnerability published: November 11, 2014 Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Product according to CISA: Microsoft Input Method Editor (IME) Japanese Filed by this site under “Operating systems” (indicative classification). Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Technical detail of the score: attack vector, complexity, impact. Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC

Severity and activity

7.8 / 10 CVSS severity: high

Score from the NVD. Collected Sep 29, 2026.

— Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS)

FIRST’s EPSS model. Since exploitation is already confirmed, this figure is mostly useful to compare activity. Collected Sep 29, 2026.

Description

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, and Office 2007 SP3, when IMJPDCT.EXE (aka IME for Japanese) is installed, allow remote attackers to bypass a sandbox protection mechanism via a crafted PDF document, aka "Microsoft IME (Japanese) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability," as exploited in the wild in 2014.

Microsoft Input Method Editor (IME) Japanese is a keyboard with Japanese characters that can be enabled on Windows systems as it is included by default (with the default set as disabled). IME Japanese contains an unspecified vulnerability when IMJPDCT.EXE (IME for Japanese) is installed which allows attackers to bypass a sandbox and perform privilege escalation.

Summary from CISA (KEV catalog).

CERT-FR advisories

No advisory among the latest CERT-FR publications this site follows. That does not mean there are none.

Information reused under the Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab); the date of last update is shown for each advisory. This site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by ANSSI.

Sources for this page

CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, required action, deadline, ransomware.
Microsoft Security Update Guide: product, patch.
NVD (NIST): CVSS severity, publication date, description, vendor references.
EPSS (FIRST): probability of exploitation.
CERT-FR: advisories and alerts (in French).
Brand and category: indicative classification by this site (method).