HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2014-4678
CRITICAL

CVE-2014-4678

CWE-74Published: February 20, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The safe_eval function in Ansible before 1.6.4 does not properly restrict the code subset, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted instructions. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2014-4657.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2014-4678 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Red Hat1 product(s)
ansible
Source: NVD CPE · 4 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/ansible/ansible/commit/5429b85b9f6c2e640074176f36ff05fd5e4d1916
PATCHhttps://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/06/26/30
PATCHhttps://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/02/2
PATCHhttps://github.com/ansible/ansible/commit/5429b85b9f6c2e640074176f36ff05fd5e4d1916
PATCHhttps://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/06/26/30
PATCHhttps://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/02/2
ADVISORYhttps://groups.google.com/forum/message/raw?msg=ansible-announce/ieV1vZvcTXU/5Q93ThkY9rIJ
ADVISORYhttps://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2014-4678
ADVISORYhttps://www.rapid7.com/db/vulnerabilities/freebsd-vid-2c493ac8-205e-11e5-a4a5-002590263bf5
ADVISORYhttps://www.rapid7.com/db/vulnerabilities/gentoo-linux-cve-2014-4678
ADVISORYhttps://groups.google.com/forum/message/raw?msg=ansible-announce/ieV1vZvcTXU/5Q93ThkY9rIJ
ADVISORYhttps://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2014-4678
ADVISORYhttps://www.rapid7.com/db/vulnerabilities/freebsd-vid-2c493ac8-205e-11e5-a4a5-002590263bf5
ADVISORYhttps://www.rapid7.com/db/vulnerabilities/gentoo-linux-cve-2014-4678

All References (14)

→
https://github.com/ansible/ansible/commit/5429b85b9f6c2e640074176f36ff05fd5e4d1916Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://groups.google.com/forum/message/raw?msg=ansible-announce/ieV1vZvcTXU/5Q93ThkY9rIJThird Party Advisory
→
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2014-4678Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/06/26/30Mailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/02/2Mailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.rapid7.com/db/vulnerabilities/freebsd-vid-2c493ac8-205e-11e5-a4a5-002590263bf5Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.rapid7.com/db/vulnerabilities/gentoo-linux-cve-2014-4678Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/ansible/ansible/commit/5429b85b9f6c2e640074176f36ff05fd5e4d1916Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://groups.google.com/forum/message/raw?msg=ansible-announce/ieV1vZvcTXU/5Q93ThkY9rIJThird Party Advisory
→
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2014-4678Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/06/26/30Mailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/07/02/2Mailing List · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.rapid7.com/db/vulnerabilities/freebsd-vid-2c493ac8-205e-11e5-a4a5-002590263bf5Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.rapid7.com/db/vulnerabilities/gentoo-linux-cve-2014-4678Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2014-4678
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-74
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedFeb 20, 2020

Related CVEs (CWE-74)

CVE-2026-25520
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CVE-2023-30547
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CVE-2026-25586
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CVE-2026-4963
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CVE-2022-24760
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CVE-2026-54159
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Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2014-4678 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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