# CVE-2014-4971: Memory corruption in n/a

> Local attackers can exploit improper address validation in Windows XP drivers to write to arbitrary memory and gain elevated privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/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:** No
- **Published:** 26 Jul 2014
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-r97w-68rj-55vf

## What is CVE-2014-4971?

CVE-2014-4971 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Xp, published on 26 Jul 2014. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Microsoft Windows XP SP3 does not validate addresses in certain IRP handler routines, which allows local users to write data to arbitrary memory locations, and consequently gain privileges, via a crafted address in an IOCTL call, related to (1) the MQAC.sys driver in the MQ Access Control subsystem and (2) the BthPan.sys driver in the Bluetooth Personal Area Networking subsystem.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-4971?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Windows Xp.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-4971?

No fix has been published for CVE-2014-4971 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2014-4971 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2014-4971 exists.

Public exploit code:

- MS14-062 Microsoft Bluetooth Personal Area Networking (BthPan.sys) Privilege Escalation (metasploit)
- Microsoft Windows XP SP3 - 'MQAC.sys' Arbitrary Write Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)
- Microsoft Windows XP SP3 - 'BthPan.sys' Arbitrary Write Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)
- MQAC.sys Arbitrary Write Privilege Escalation (metasploit)
- Microsoft Windows XP SP3 - 'MQAC.sys' Arbitrary Write Privilege Escalation (Metasploit) (exploitdb)
- Microsoft Bluetooth Personal Area Networking - 'BthPan.sys' Local Privilege Escalation (Metasploit) (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Xp

- [CVE-2012-1852](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-1852/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-1853](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-1853/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-0119](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0119/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2007-1946](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-1946/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2005-3595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-3595/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-4971 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-4971 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Xp, published on 26 Jul 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-2014-4971 exists.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows Xp. 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-2014-4971/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4971/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-4971
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4971
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-4971

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4971/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.