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Part of a story covered by 3 sources: “Critical on-prem SharePoint deserialization RCE CVE-2026-50522 (CVSS 9.8) patched; WatchTowr reports active exploitation and CISA urges hardening” — merged summary and timeline →

2026-009: Critical Vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint

AI summary · glm-5.3-flash

WatchTowr observed active exploitation of SharePoint RCE CVE-2026-50522 (CVSS 9.8), part of an ongoing wave of exploited on-prem SharePoint flaws patched by Microsoft.

On 14 July 2026 Microsoft released updates for critical SharePoint Server RCE flaws, including CVE-2026-50522 (CVSS 9.8), a deserialisation vulnerability possibly exploitable without authentication. On 20 July 2026 WatchTowr published PoC exploit code and observed active exploitation of CVE-2026-50522, prompting CISA to urge SharePoint hardening. The advisory also covers recently fixed SharePoint flaws: CVE-2026-32201 (6.5, spoofing), CVE-2026-45659 (8.8, authenticated RCE), CVE-2026-56164 (9.8, unauthenticated privilege escalation), and CVE-2026-58644 (9.8, unauthenticated RCE). Affected products include SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, 2019, and Enterprise Server 2016; CERT-EU recommends immediate patching, credential rotation, and compromise assessments.

  • CVE-2026-50522 (CVSS 9.8): SharePoint deserialisation RCE, possibly unauthenticated
  • WatchTowr published PoC and observed active exploitation on 20 July 2026
  • Additional 9.8-severity unauth RCEs fixed: CVE-2026-56164, CVE-2026-58644
  • CISA urged SharePoint hardening; rotate credentials for exposed servers
  • Affects SharePoint Subscription Edition, 2019, and Enterprise 2016

Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →

CVEVulnerabilityCVSSEPSSFlagsAffectedExposurePublished
CVE-2026-32201
Improper Input Validation Spoofing Vulnerability in Microsoft SharePoint Server

Microsoft SharePoint Server contains an improper input validation flaw (CWE-20) that can be triggered by an unauthenticated, network-based attacker submitting crafted input to the server. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to perform spoofing over the network, impersonating a trusted user or source within SharePoint; detailed impact mechanics have not been published and no CVSS score or public proof-of-concept is available. Any organization running on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server is potentially affected, and the available data does not specify affected version ranges. CISA added the vulnerability to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-04-14, indicating evidence of active exploitation, and EPSS assigns a 42.8% probability of exploitation within 30 days (99th percentile). Ransomware association is currently unknown.

Do: Apply Microsoft's security updates for SharePoint Server per the vendor advisory as soon as possible, and identify your SharePoint Server versions and builds since specific affected ranges are not provided here. Given the KEV listing, federal agencies must apply the vendor mitigations, follow applicable BOD 22-01 cloud guidance, or discontinue use by the established deadline. Until patched, limit network exposure of SharePoint servers and review authentication and access logs for signs of impersonation or spoofing activity.

6.543% KEV
  • Microsoft SharePoint Server
masslikely on the order of 100,000+ on-premises SharePoint Server installations, of which tens of thousands are directly internet-exposed
CVE-2026-45659
Authenticated Deserialization RCE in Microsoft SharePoint Server (Actively Exploited)

CVE-2026-45659 is a deserialization-of-untrusted-data vulnerability (CWE-502) in Microsoft SharePoint Server in which an authorized (authenticated, low-privilege) attacker can submit crafted serialized data over the network, with no user interaction required, to execute code on the server. Successful exploitation carries high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the SharePoint service context, giving attackers a foothold for follow-on activity, and CISA notes that ransomware use is known. Organizations running on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server are affected; the source data lists no specific version ranges, and the CPE scope (sharepoint server) points to the on-premises product rather than the Microsoft-managed SharePoint Online service. The flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-07-01 after active exploitation, and its EPSS score of 76.1% (100th percentile) indicates a high probability of near-term exploitation. The CVE record lists no public proof-of-concept, though related reporting describes exploitation activity following a public PoC release for a SharePoint authentication bypass.

Do: Apply Microsoft's current security updates for SharePoint Server following vendor instructions, prioritizing internet-facing servers, and comply with CISA BOD 26-04, which requires applying mitigations per vendor guidance (including the cited Forensics Triage Requirements) or discontinuing use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Because in-the-wild exploitation and ransomware use are confirmed, triage exposed servers for compromise: review IIS/SharePoint logs for unexpected authenticated requests, look for webshells or newly modified files in SharePoint web roots, and check for unusual child processes spawned by the SharePoint application pool. Given related reporting on an authentication-bypass PoC, also verify that any related SharePoint authentication-bypass patches are…

8.876% KEV ransomware
  • Microsoft SharePoint Server
mass≈100,000 internet-exposed SharePoint Server deployments (order-of-magnitude estimate), with total users across on-premises deployments likely in the millions
CVE-2026-50522
+1 in the same advisory: …58644
Unauthenticated Deserialization RCE in Microsoft SharePoint Server

CVE-2026-50522 is a deserialization of untrusted data flaw (CWE-502) in Microsoft SharePoint Server that allows an unauthenticated attacker to send maliciously crafted serialized data over the network and execute code on the server, reflected in its 9.8 critical CVSS score with no privileges or user interaction required. Successful exploitation yields full remote code execution with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, giving attackers a foothold for follow-on actions such as data theft, lateral movement, or ransomware. Any organization running on-premises SharePoint Server is in scope, particularly deployments reachable from untrusted networks; the required action notes stakeholders must evaluate each asset's internet exposure under CISA BOD 26-04. The flaw is under active exploitation: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-07-22 and security news headlines describe it as a critical RCE exploited in the wild, with some reports referencing exploitation after a public proof-of-concept release and an authentication bypass. The structured record lists no public PoC as confirmed, but an EPSS of 84.6% (100th percentile) underscores a very high near-term exploitation likelihood.

Do: Apply Microsoft's security updates for SharePoint Server immediately per the vendor advisory, as required under CISA's KEV listing and BOD 26-04, and prioritize any SharePoint deployments that are internet-facing (federal/critical-infrastructure operators must follow BOD 26-04 timelines or discontinue unmitigated use). Until patched, restrict public access to SharePoint endpoints (VPN, firewall rules, or reverse proxy) and review IIS/application logs and running processes for signs of unauthenticated deserialization abuse. Because some reports reference an authentication bypass being chained, also verify authentication paths and monitor for follow-on attacker activity after patching.

9.885% KEV
  • Microsoft SharePoint Server (on-premises)
massorder of 100,000+ on-prem SharePoint Server deployments worldwide, with tens of thousands plausibly internet-exposed
CVE-2026-56164
Missing Authentication in Microsoft SharePoint Server Allows Privilege Escalation

Microsoft SharePoint Server contains a missing authentication for critical function vulnerability (CWE-306) that lets an unauthenticated attacker elevate privileges over a network without valid credentials. The flaw is triggered when the affected SharePoint function is accessed remotely without any authentication check, allowing an attacker to gain higher privileges than intended. Successful exploitation could enable an attacker to take elevated actions within the SharePoint environment, potentially leading to further compromise of the server and its data. All organizations running on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server are potentially affected, though specific versions have not yet been enumerated by Microsoft or CISA. The vulnerability was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-07-14, indicating it is being actively exploited, and its EPSS score of 26.6% (98th percentile) reflects a high near-term exploitation risk.

Do: Apply Microsoft's security updates for SharePoint Server as soon as they are available, and check Microsoft's advisory for the specific affected version ranges once published. In the meantime, restrict network access to SharePoint servers, especially for internet-facing instances, and verify whether your environment falls under CISA BOD 26-04 requirements given the KEV listing. Monitor for updated guidance from Microsoft and CISA, as exploitation is confirmed and patching urgency is high.

9.827% KEV
  • Microsoft SharePoint Server
masspotentially millions of users and well over 100,000 exposed installations worldwide
Full article380 words · extracted from cert.europa.eu · click to collapse

Release Date: 23-07-2026 07:13:03

History:

  • 22/07/2026 --- v1.0 -- Initial publication
  • 22/07/2026 --- v1.1 -- Updated to include additional actively exploited vulnerabilities (CVE-2026-32201, CVE-2026-45659, CVE-2026-56164, and CVE-2026-58644)

Summary

[UPDATED] On 14 July 2026, Microsoft released security updates addressing critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint Server [1]. On 20 July 2026, WatchTowr identified a proof-of-concept exploit code and subsequently observed active exploitation of CVE-2026-50522 [2], a vulnerability part of an ongoing series of actively exploited flaws [3] affecting on-premise SharePoint Server instances, including CVE-2026-32201, CVE-2026-45659, CVE-2026-56164, and CVE-2026-58644.

CERT-EU strongly recommends updating affected servers immediately, rotating credentials for any assets that may have been exposed to the internet, and conducting a compromise assessment.

Technical Details

[UPDATED] The vulnerability CVE-2026-50522 (CVSS: 9.8) is a critical deserialisation vulnerability in Microsoft SharePoint that allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. While Microsoft indicates that exploitation requires some level of authentication [1], recent findings suggest this may not be the case [2, 4].

[NEW] Over the past month, Microsoft also fixed the following vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft SharePoint Server:

  • CVE-2026-32201: An improper input validation flaw enabling spoofing attacks by an unauthorised user (CVSS: 6.5) [5]. Fixed in April 2026.
  • CVE-2026-45659: A deserialisation of untrusted data vulnerability allowing authenticated remote code execution (CVSS: 8.8) [6]. Fixed in May 2026.
  • CVE-2026-56164: Missing authentication for a critical function, allowing unauthenticated privilege escalation (CVSS: 9.8) [7]. Fixed in July 2026.
  • CVE-2026-58644: A deserialisation vulnerability enabling unauthenticated remote code execution (CVSS: 9.8) [8]. Fixed in July 2026.

Affected Products

[UPDATED] The vulnerability CVE-2026-50522 affects the following Microsoft SharePoint products. Refer to the respective Microsoft advisories [5–8] for the full list of affected products for the other vulnerabilities.

  • Microsoft SharePoint Server Subscription Edition
  • Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019
  • Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016

Recommendations

CERT-EU strongly recommends updating affected servers as soon as possible, rotating credentials for any assets that may have been vulnerable and exposed to the internet, and conducting a compromise assessment to identify potentially affected SharePoint instances.

Given the number of recent critical vulnerabilities affecting SharePoint, organisations should reconsider exposing any Microsoft SharePoint Server directly to the internet.

References

[1] https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50522

[2] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/watchtowr_exploitation-alert-watchtowr-is-observing-activity-7485278595850940416-LSP8/

[3] https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/07/14/cisa-urges-sharepoint-hardening-after-new-exploitations

[4] https://x.com/DefusedCyber/status/2079128402855116858

[5] https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-32201

[6] https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-45659

[7] https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-56164

[8] https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-58644

Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://cert.europa.eu/publications/security-advisories/2026-009/