# CVE-2014-4014: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can bypass chmod restrictions and escalate privileges by exploiting a flaw in Linux kernel capabilities and namespace handling.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.2 (`AV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 23 Jun 2014
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2014-4014, GHSA-73cf-9h72-w34c, UBUNTU-CVE-2014-4014

## What is CVE-2014-4014?

CVE-2014-4014 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 23 Jun 2014. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The capabilities implementation in the Linux kernel before 3.14.8 does not properly consider that namespaces are inapplicable to inodes, which allows local users to bypass intended chmod restrictions by first creating a user namespace, as demonstrated by setting the setgid bit on a file with group ownership of root.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-4014?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-4014?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2014-4014 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2014-4014 exists.

Public exploit code:

- cve-2014-4014 (github_poc): https://github.com/vnik5287/cve-2014-4014-privesc
- Linux Kernel 3.13 - SGID Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-4014 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-4014 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 23 Jun 2014. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2014-4014 exists.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4014/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4014/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-4014
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4014
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-4014

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4014/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.