# CVE-2014-4077: Microsoft IME Japanese Privilege Escalation

> Attackers can bypass sandbox protections via crafted PDFs when Japanese IME is installed, requiring OS patching.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 25 May 2022 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 Nov 2014
- **Updated:** 22 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5rf9-j2cv-922c

## What is CVE-2014-4077?

CVE-2014-4077 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 7, published on 11 Nov 2014. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official 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.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-4077?

It affects 5 products.


Products: Microsoft Office 2007 Ime, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Windows Vista.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-4077?

No fix has been published for CVE-2014-4077 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 15 Jun 2022.

## Is CVE-2014-4077 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2014-4077 in the wild since at least 25 May 2022.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-4077 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-4077 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 7, published on 11 Nov 2014. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2014-4077 in the wild since at least 25 May 2022.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 7. 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-2014-4077/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4077/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-4077
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4077
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-4077

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4077/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.