What is CVE-2021-34473?

CVE-2021-34473 is Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. The supplied enrichment data classifies it as SSRF mapped to CWE-918 Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF).

Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Is there active exploitation?

Yes: CISA KEV signal present. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

Yes. The supplied enrichment data lists CVE-2021-34473 in CISA KEV with required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Is there a public exploit?

148 public PoC repositories reported; 2 marked weaponized in current dataset. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

How can defenders detect it?

Start with web/proxy/WAF logs, application logs, network IDS/IPS, cloud metadata access logs, egress proxy logs where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2021-34473 using CVSS 10, EPSS 100%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Are workarounds available?

Workarounds are not confirmed from current sources. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Which threat actors are linked publicly?

Publicly linked actor or ransomware signals in the supplied enrichment data: Lazarus Group (), Mirage (), WIZARD SPIDER (), TA505 (), Earth Lusca (), Ransomware use: Known. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

What should be done in the next 24 hours?

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations. Treat as emergency remediation because CISA KEV status is present. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

CISA KEVRansomwarehighSSRFpublic exploit

CVE-2021-34473

CVE-2021-34473 — Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Published Jul 14, 2021Updated Aug 10, 2026Sources: NVD, Microsoft (CNA), CISA, FIRST EPSS, GitHub, Microsoft MSRC, SOCRadar CTI

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Confirmed

CISA KEV, listed Nov 3, 2021

EPSS

100%

top of FIRST's scoreset

Affects

Microsoft

10 products listed

CVSS base

high · 4 sources

CISA SSVC assessment

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

CISA

Exploitation

Active

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

Yes

can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Total

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Apply Microsoft security update KB5001779 (2021-Jul release) — http://www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?familyid=f827ff3b-194c-4470-aa8f-6cedc0d95d07.

CISA required action

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Federal deadline Nov 17, 2021 — passed 1,782 days ago

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.

Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
Treat as emergency remediation because CISA KEV status is present.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 23	15.00.0 to < 15.00.1497.015	Vulnerable
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 19	15.01.0 to < 15.01.2176.012	Vulnerable
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 20	15.01.0 to < 15.01.2242.008	Vulnerable
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 8	15.02.0 to < 15.02.0792.013	Vulnerable
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 9	15.02.0 to < 15.02.0858.010	Vulnerable
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 23	—	Vulnerable
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 9	—	Vulnerable
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 20	—	Vulnerable
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 19	—	Vulnerable
Microsoft	Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 8	—	Vulnerable

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

Changed

Confidentiality

Changed

Integrity

Changed

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Network

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Source
9.1	CVSS 3.1	critical	3.9	5.2	Microsoft (CNA)
9.8	CVSS 3.1	critical	3.9	5.9	nist.gov (CNA)
10	CVSS 2.0	high	10	10	NVD
9.1	CVSS 3.1	critical	—	—	Microsoft (CNA), Microsoft

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

What this weakness leads to

MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.

MITRE

CWE-918 · Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

Read Application Data
Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands::

Weakness & attack patterns

CWE-918Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

Inferred from the weakness class — not observed against this CVE.

CAPEC-664 · Server Side Request Forgery

CISA KEV details

CISA lists a CVE here once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.

CISAThat month →

Listed

Nov 3, 2021

Federal deadline

Nov 17, 2021

passed 1,782 days ago

Ransomware use

Known

CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a date to argue against.

Public exploit

Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.

Repositories

122

2 of the 5 sampled are weaponized

Exploit entries

Exploit-DB and CTI exploit indexes

Malware

Families a CTI source ties to this CVE. One named, with the total it tracks.

Families tracked

Named

bianlian

elf.bianlian, apk.bianlian, BianLian

Social mentions

Posts naming this CVE. Attention, not evidence of exploitation — it spikes on disclosure and decays whether or not anything is exploited.

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 23, Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 19, Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 20, Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 8, Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 9.
Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 148 public PoC repositories were reported.

web/proxy/WAF logsapplication logsnetwork IDS/IPScloud metadata access logsegress proxy logs

Groups associated with this CVE

Groups reported in connection with this vulnerability. A reported association, not a confirmed observation of that group using it — and not scoped to any sector or campaign.

Lazarus GroupMirageWIZARD SPIDERTA505Earth Lusca

39 more threat groups on this CVEShowing 5 of 44 · Attribution, campaigns and the malware each one runsUnlock free

ip138.197.191.8773
CTU-AIPP-BlackList-4 · Mar 11, 2024
ip206.81.24.22730
CINSscore · Jun 26, 2024
ip143.244.168.16114
CINSscore · Jun 26, 2024
ip93.115.25.13943
Proxy · May 14, 2022
ip105.174.31.21061
AbuseIPDB Hourly Update · May 30, 2026

5 more indicators on this CVEShowing 5 of 10 · Hashes, addresses and domains from a live threat exchangeUnlock free

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.

2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 10.0 (AV:N)
Aug 10, 2026 · NVD
2025
Bulletin released on NIST.
Oct 16, 2025 · SOCRadar CTI
Bulletin released on NIST.
Oct 16, 2025 · SOCRadar CTI
Bulletin released on Mitre.
Feb 4, 2025 · SOCRadar CTI
Bulletin released on NIST.
Feb 4, 2025 · SOCRadar CTI
2021
Added to CISA KEV catalog
Nov 3, 2021 · CISA
Initial · CVE published
Jul 14, 2021 · NVD

Source activity

Readings a source repeats on a schedule, counted rather than listed.

10×TweetsFeb 13, 2025 – Mar 20, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
7×ModifiedJul 26, 2024 – Oct 29, 2025 · SOCRadar CTI
4×1 time mentioned on 1 Telegram channelOct 8, 2025 – Jan 24, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
3×SVRS was changedJun 23, 2024 – Jul 15, 2025 · SOCRadar CTI

References

12 on the record

msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-34473
Patch, Vendor Advisory, Mitre, NIST
packetstormsecurity.com/files/163895/Microsoft-Exchange-ProxyShell-Remote-Code-Execution.html
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry, GITHUB, NIST
portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-34473
Patch, Vendor Advisory, NIST, MITRE_REFERENCES
www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-821/
Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry, NIST
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-34473
US Government Resource, NIST
www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?familyid=f827ff3b-194c-4470-aa8f-6cedc0d95d07
Vendor Advisory
support.microsoft.com/help/5001779
Vendor Advisory
www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?familyid=5aa2aaf7-860d-4977-acd4-82096c83c5f0
Vendor Advisory

Coverage

7 stories from the feeds we poll

2 more reports on this CVEShowing 5 of 7 · Vendor research and security press coverageUnlock free

Elsewhere on this site

Microsoftevery CVE for this vendor
November 2021what else CISA listed
SSRFsame class
CWE-918other pages naming this weakness

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

Only the 5 indicator(s) reported for this CVE are available; no packet-level or host-forensic artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record1

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2021-34473 is Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability, a high vulnerability affecting Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 23, Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 19, Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 20, Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 8, Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 9 from Microsoft. The current evidence lists it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Yes: CISA KEV signal present. Public exploit evidence is: 148 public PoC repositories reported; 2 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 10 describes technical severity, while EPSS 100% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.