{ "id": "0ea7ad61-c615-4cf3-a651-46fe5a32a86a", "created_at": "2026-04-06T00:12:15.044171Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T03:37:09.180626Z", "deleted_at": null, "sha1_hash": "2edb15bace7713c4bc00e72bc9af44f61d0e4991", "title": "Microsoft Zero Day Traced to Russian ‘Sandworm’ Hackers", "llm_title": "", "authors": "", "file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_size": 35638, "plain_text": "Microsoft Zero Day Traced to Russian ‘Sandworm’ Hackers\r\nBy Phil Muncaster\r\nPublished: 2014-10-14 · Archived: 2026-04-05 13:20:47 UTC\r\nThreat intelligence firm iSight Partners has announced the discovery of a new remote code execution zero day\r\nvulnerability affecting all supported versions of Microsoft Windows, Server 2008 and 2012, and linked to a\r\nRussian espionage group known as \"Sandworm.\"\r\nThe vulnerability, CVE-2014-4114, was discovered by iSight at the beginning of September in spear-phishing\r\nattacks from “Sandworm Team” using a weaponized PowerPoint attachment, the firm said in a blog post.\r\nIt will be patched in today’s monthly security update from Microsoft.\r\nThe flaw exists in the in the “OLE package manager” in Windows and Microsoft Server, allowing an attacker to\r\nremotely execute arbitrary code if they can convince a victim to open a specially crafted file via social engineering\r\ntechniques.\r\n“The vulnerability exists because Windows allows the OLE packager (packager .dll) to download and execute INF\r\nfiles,” the firm explained.\r\n“In the case of the observed exploit, specifically when handling Microsoft PowerPoint files, the packagers allows\r\na Package OLE object to reference arbitrary external files, such as INF files, from untrusted sources. This will\r\ncause the referenced files to be downloaded in the case of INF files, to be executed with specific commands.”\r\nThe threat intelligence firm said it has been working with Microsoft to monitor the use of the vulnerability and\r\nwork on a patch, and added that it appears to have been used only by the Sandworm group.\r\nThe group itself has been referenced in the past by ESET and F-Secure (which named it “Quedagh”) in relation to\r\nBlackEnergy attacks on various entities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.\r\nIt has likely been in operation since 2009, and has attacked NATO members in 2013, attendees of security forum\r\nGlobsec the following year, a Polish energy firm and a French telecoms firm, said iSight.\r\nMany of the lures used in the spear-phishing emails related to the Ukrainian conflict and “broader geopolitical\r\nissues related to Russia,” with Ukrainian government targets also singled out.\r\nThe “Sandworm” moniker was so chosen due to references to sci-fi novel series Dune in command and control\r\nURLs and various malware samples, iSight said.\r\nOllie Whitehouse, technical director at information assurance firm NCC Group, described CVE-2014-4114 as\r\n\"pervasive and trivial to exploit.\"\r\nThis event should remind organisations of the need to have robust patch management policies and procedures in\r\nplace,\" he added.\r\nhttps://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/microsoft-zero-day-traced-russian/\r\nPage 1 of 2\n\n\"The ease with which organisations can be targeted in such a way is more of a concern. This is why regular\r\npractical training and simulation for staff to recognise these sorts of attacks and to understand the organisation’s\r\nsusceptibility is incredibly important.”\r\nSource: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/microsoft-zero-day-traced-russian/\r\nhttps://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/microsoft-zero-day-traced-russian/\r\nPage 2 of 2", "extraction_quality": 1, "language": "EN", "sources": [ "MITRE" ], "references": [ "https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/microsoft-zero-day-traced-russian/" ], "report_names": [ "microsoft-zero-day-traced-russian" ], "threat_actors": [ { "id": "8941e146-3e7f-4b4e-9b66-c2da052ee6df", "created_at": "2023-01-06T13:46:38.402513Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:02.959797Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "Sandworm", "aliases": [ "IRIDIUM", "Blue Echidna", "VOODOO BEAR", "FROZENBARENTS", "UAC-0113", "Seashell Blizzard", "UAC-0082", "APT44", "Quedagh", "TEMP.Noble", "IRON VIKING", "G0034", "ELECTRUM", "TeleBots" ], "source_name": "MISPGALAXY:Sandworm", "tools": [], "source_id": "MISPGALAXY", "reports": null }, { "id": "7bd810cb-d674-4763-86eb-2cc182d24ea0", "created_at": "2022-10-25T16:07:24.1537Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:04.883793Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "Sandworm Team", "aliases": [ "APT 44", "ATK 14", "BE2", "Blue Echidna", "CTG-7263", "FROZENBARENTS", "G0034", "Grey Tornado", "IRIDIUM", "Iron Viking", "Quedagh", "Razing Ursa", "Sandworm", "Sandworm Team", "Seashell Blizzard", "TEMP.Noble", "UAC-0082", "UAC-0113", "UAC-0125", "UAC-0133", "Voodoo Bear" ], "source_name": "ETDA:Sandworm Team", "tools": [ "AWFULSHRED", "ArguePatch", "BIASBOAT", "Black Energy", "BlackEnergy", "CaddyWiper", "Colibri Loader", "Cyclops Blink", "CyclopsBlink", "DCRat", "DarkCrystal RAT", "Fobushell", "GOSSIPFLOW", "Gcat", "IcyWell", "Industroyer2", "JaguarBlade", "JuicyPotato", "Kapeka", "KillDisk.NCX", "LOADGRIP", "LOLBAS", "LOLBins", "Living off the Land", "ORCSHRED", "P.A.S.", "PassKillDisk", "Pitvotnacci", "PsList", "QUEUESEED", "RansomBoggs", "RottenPotato", "SOLOSHRED", "SwiftSlicer", "VPNFilter", "Warzone", "Warzone RAT", "Weevly" ], "source_id": "ETDA", "reports": null }, { "id": "a66438a8-ebf6-4397-9ad5-ed07f93330aa", "created_at": "2022-10-25T16:47:55.919702Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:03.618194Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "IRON VIKING", "aliases": [ "APT44 ", "ATK14 ", "BlackEnergy Group", "Blue Echidna ", "CTG-7263 ", "ELECTRUM ", "FROZENBARENTS ", "Hades/OlympicDestroyer ", "IRIDIUM ", "Qudedagh ", "Sandworm Team ", "Seashell Blizzard ", "TEMP.Noble ", "Telebots ", "Voodoo Bear " ], "source_name": "Secureworks:IRON VIKING", "tools": [ "BadRabbit", "BlackEnergy", "GCat", "NotPetya", "PSCrypt", "TeleBot", "TeleDoor", "xData" ], "source_id": "Secureworks", "reports": null }, { "id": "b3e954e8-8bbb-46f3-84de-d6f12dc7e1a6", "created_at": "2022-10-25T15:50:23.339976Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T02:00:05.27483Z", "deleted_at": null, "main_name": "Sandworm Team", "aliases": [ "Sandworm Team", "ELECTRUM", "Telebots", "IRON VIKING", "BlackEnergy (Group)", "Quedagh", "Voodoo Bear", "IRIDIUM", "Seashell Blizzard", "FROZENBARENTS", "APT44" ], "source_name": "MITRE:Sandworm Team", "tools": [ "Bad Rabbit", "Mimikatz", "Exaramel for Linux", "Exaramel for Windows", "GreyEnergy", "PsExec", "Prestige", "P.A.S. Webshell", "AcidPour", "VPNFilter", "Neo-reGeorg", "Cyclops Blink", "SDelete", "Kapeka", "AcidRain", "Industroyer", "Industroyer2", "BlackEnergy", "Cobalt Strike", "NotPetya", "KillDisk", "PoshC2", "Impacket", "Invoke-PSImage", "Olympic Destroyer" ], "source_id": "MITRE", "reports": null } ], "ts_created_at": 1775434335, "ts_updated_at": 1775792229, "ts_creation_date": 0, "ts_modification_date": 0, "files": { "pdf": "https://archive.orkl.eu/2edb15bace7713c4bc00e72bc9af44f61d0e4991.pdf", "text": "https://archive.orkl.eu/2edb15bace7713c4bc00e72bc9af44f61d0e4991.txt", "img": "https://archive.orkl.eu/2edb15bace7713c4bc00e72bc9af44f61d0e4991.jpg" } }