Tuesday, November 12, 2024
HomeCyber Security NewsOver 60,000 Online Exchange Servers Unpatched for RCE Vulnerability ProxyNotShell

Over 60,000 Online Exchange Servers Unpatched for RCE Vulnerability ProxyNotShell

Published on

Malware protection

One of the two security flaws targeted by ProxyNotShell exploits, CVE-2022-41082 RCE vulnerability, has not been patched on more than 60,000 Microsoft Exchange servers, as a result, they are exposed online.

Another flaw that is in question has been tracked as CVE-2022-41080. A series of targeted attacks were employed by threat actors to exploit the ProxyNotShell zero-day vulnerabilities first disclosed in September.

It has been reported that almost 70,000 Microsoft Exchange servers are at risk of proxyNotShell attacks, in accordance with a recent tweet from security researchers at the Shadowserver Foundation.

- Advertisement - SIEM as a Service

As of recent data, 60,865 Exchange servers were detected as vulnerable on January 2nd, and this count is a decreased figure which is fallen from 83,946 in mid-December.

Vulnerable Exchange Versions

As a collective term, ProxyNotShell is the combination of these two security bugs. Apart from this, it has been found that these flaws affect the Exchange Server:-

  • 2013
  • 2016
  • 2019

The x_owa_version header was the basis for the experts’ assessment. Listed below are the Exchange versions that are vulnerable to these flaws (CVE-2022-41080/CVE-2022-41082):-

2019

  • 15.2.1118.15 – 15.2.1118.7 <– strict match of all 4 numbers required
  • 15.2.986.30 – 15.2.986.5 <– strict match of all 4 numbers required
  • 15.2.922.27 – 15.2.196.0 (anything less than or equal to 15.2.922 ) 

^^^ looser match of the first 3 numbers is required

2016

  • 15.1.2507.13 – 15.1.2507.6 <– strict match of all 4 numbers required
  • 15.1.2375.32 – 15.1.2375.7 <– strict match of all 4 numbers required
  • 15.1.2308.27 – 15.1.225.16 (anything less than or equal to 15.1.2308) 

^^^ looser match of the first 3 numbers is required

2013

  • 15.0.1497.31 – 15.0.1497.2 <– strict match of all 4 numbers required
  • 15.0.1473.6 – 15.0.516.32 (anything less than or equal to 15.0.1473)

^^^ looser match of the first 3 numbers is required

Attackers can use this vulnerability to escalate privileges on compromised servers, and they can also end up being able to execute arbitrary code remotely.

Recommendation

During the November 2022 Patch Tuesday, Microsoft released security updates that addressed the flaws in order to resolve them. During the month of September, GreyNoise, a company providing threat intelligence, has been closely monitoring the ongoing exploitation of ProxyNotShell.

As a security precaution, it is recommended that you apply the ProxyNotShell security patches from Microsoft released in November. This will ensure that your Exchange servers remain protected from incoming attacks.

A mitigation plan was also provided by the company, but attackers can circumvent those measures. In short, the only servers that are secure from compromise are those that are fully patched.

Gurubaran
Gurubaran
Gurubaran is a co-founder of Cyber Security News and GBHackers On Security. He has 10+ years of experience as a Security Consultant, Editor, and Analyst in cybersecurity, technology, and communications.

Latest articles

10 Best DNS Management Tools – 2025

Best DNS Management Tools play a crucial role in efficiently managing domain names and...

Sweet Security Announces Availability of its Cloud Native Detection & Response Platform on the AWS Marketplace

Customers can now easily integrate Sweet’s runtime detection and response platform into their AWS...

Researchers Detailed Credential Abuse Cycle

Cybercriminals exploit leaked credentials, obtained through various means, to compromise systems and data, enabling...

New Android Malware SpyAgent Taking Screenshots Of User’s Devices

SpyAgent, a newly discovered Android malware, leverages OCR technology to extract cryptocurrency recovery phrases...

Free Webinar

Protect Websites & APIs from Malware Attack

Malware targeting customer-facing websites and API applications poses significant risks, including compliance violations, defacements, and even blacklisting.

Join us for an insightful webinar featuring Vivek Gopalan, VP of Products at Indusface, as he shares effective strategies for safeguarding websites and APIs against malware.

Discussion points

Scan DOM, internal links, and JavaScript libraries for hidden malware.
Detect website defacements in real time.
Protect your brand by monitoring for potential blacklisting.
Prevent malware from infiltrating your server and cloud infrastructure.

More like this

Researchers Detailed Credential Abuse Cycle

Cybercriminals exploit leaked credentials, obtained through various means, to compromise systems and data, enabling...

New Android Malware SpyAgent Taking Screenshots Of User’s Devices

SpyAgent, a newly discovered Android malware, leverages OCR technology to extract cryptocurrency recovery phrases...

Tor Network Suffers IP Spoofing Attack Via Non-Exit Relays

In late October 2024, a coordinated IP spoofing attack targeted the Tor network, prompting...