CVE-2022-41080KEV · OVERDUE

Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

High · published November 10, 2022

Patch now

Confirmed exploited, and the score agrees

CVSS calls it high at 8.8. It is confirmed in active exploitation. It sits in the 99.6th percentile for exploit probability.

1362
days past CISA
deadline
CVSS v3.1
8.8
EPSS
77%
Percentile
99.6
In the wild
Confirmed
What it is

🚨 An attacker can elevate their privileges on Microsoft Exchange Server with a simple trick! 🔥 Think of this vulnerability like a sneaky hotel guest who manages to slip into the executive lounge without ever checking in — they gain access to exclusive areas and sensitive information they shouldn’t have. With this elevation of privilege vulnerability, an attacker could infiltrate your Exchange Server and gain administrative control, allowing them to read sensitive emails, modify server settings, or even install malware. This could be absolutely devastating for an organization, leading to data breaches or significant operational disruptions.

Put simply

Think of this vulnerability like a sneaky hotel guest who manages to slip into the executive lounge without ever checking in — they gain access to exclusive areas and sensitive information they shouldn’t have. This vulnerability occurs due to improper validation of user input in Microsoft Exchange Server, allowing attackers to bypass normal security controls and escalate their privileges without authorization.

What to do

With this elevation of privilege vulnerability, an attacker could infiltrate your Exchange Server and gain administrative control, allowing them to read sensitive emails, modify server settings, or even install malware. This could be absolutely devastating for an organization, leading to data breaches or significant operational disruptions. Immediately patch your Exchange Server to the latest version provided by Microsoft and review your security settings to ensure only authorized users have access to sensitive areas. Regularly audit user roles and permissions to prevent unauthorized access. You've got this! Follow these steps, and you'll have your server secured in no time! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
8.8 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.77326 · 99.6th percentile
Published
2022-11-10T03:15Z
KEV added
2023-01-10 · due 2023-01-31
Affected products (5)
ProductVersionsFixed in
microsoft/exchange_serverall versions—
microsoft/exchange_serverall versions—
microsoft/exchange_serverall versions—
microsoft/exchange_serverall versions—
microsoft/exchange_serverall versions—
References (3)
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 10 JAN 00:00Z
    Added to CISA KEV — remediate by Jan 31
    kev
  • 09 NOV 00:00Z
    Microsoft Exchange Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
    cvelistv5