CVE-2026-56164
CVE-2026-56164 — Microsoft SharePoint Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Missing authentication for critical function in Microsoft Office SharePoint allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.
Published Updated Sources: NVD, Microsoft (CNA), CISA, FIRST EPSS, GitHub, 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 Jul 14, 2026
EPSS
27%
ahead of 98% of scored CVEs
CVSS base
9.8
critical · 3 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.
Exploitation
Active
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
Yes
can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Partial
partial · total control of the vulnerable component
Remediation
The vendor's own words where we have them.
Upgrade Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.
CISA required action
Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
Federal deadline Jul 17, 2026 — passed 61 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 SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 | 16.0.0 to < 16.0.5561.1001 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019 | 16.0.0 to < 16.0.10417.20175 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Microsoft SharePoint Server Subscription Edition | 16.0.0 to < 16.0.19725.20434 | Vulnerable |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Availability
High
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Scope
Unchanged
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Vector
Network
Privileges Req
None
User Interaction
None
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | CVSS 3.1 | medium | 3.9 | 1.4 | Microsoft (CNA) |
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | critical | 3.9 | 5.9 | NVD |
| 5.3 | CVSS 3.1 | medium | — | — | Microsoft (CNA) |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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.
CWE-306 · Missing Authentication for Critical Function
- Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
- Other
Mitigation: Divide the software into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Identify which of these areas require a proven user identity, and use a centralized authentication capability. Identify all potential communication channels, or other means of interaction with the software, to ensure that all channels are appropriately protected. Developers sometimes perform authentication at the primary channel, but open up a secondary channel that is assumed to be private. For example, a login mechanism may be listening on one network port, but after successful authentication, it may open up a second port where it waits for the connection, but avoids authentication because it assumes that only the authenticated party will connect to the port. In general, if the software or protocol allows a single session or user state to persist across multiple connections or channels, authentication and appropriate credential management need to be used throughout.
Weakness & attack patterns
- CWE-306Missing Authentication for Critical Function
Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.
CISA KEV details
CISA lists a CVE here once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
Listed
Jul 14, 2026
Federal deadline
Jul 17, 2026
passed 61 days ago
Ransomware use
Unknown
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
9
2 of the 5 sampled are weaponized
Exploit entries
3
Exploit-DB and CTI exploit indexes
Social mentions
Posts naming this CVE. Attention, not evidence of exploitation — it spikes on disclosure and decays whether or not anything is exploited.
CVE-2026-56164: Microsoft SharePoint Server Missing Authentication Bug - What It Means for Your Business and How to Respond https://t.co/uwMT0Cnz77
@integ_sec· Aug 27, 2026
⚡️ August "In the Trend of VM" (#30): 4 trending vulns - ViPNet Client RCE (BDU:2026-09885), Windows Kernel EoP (CVE-2026-42980), and 2 actively exploited SharePoint flaws (CVE-2026-56164, CVE-2026-58644). #TrendVulns #ViPNet #Windows #SharePoint ➡️ https://t.co/NAraJjJJUS https://t.co/hkjhFAqNCV
@leonov_av· Aug 17, 2026
Microsoft’s July 2026 Patch Tuesday Addresses 569 CVEs (CVE-2026-56155, CVE-2026-56164) https://t.co/vznD7BoR0u https://t.co/6IMyD4pXK2
@dansantanna· Aug 8, 2026
🚨 Microsoft SharePoint EoP (CVE-2026-56164): unauth privilege escalation, exploited in the wild, CISA KEV Jul 14, public exploit Aug 6, linked to Swiss BIT breach affecting ~200 accounts. #SharePoint #Microsoft #Vulristics ➡️ https://t.co/IN1wQN7bWQ https://t.co/XH9hjxlCIv
@leonov_av· Aug 7, 2026
TRC analysis shows attackers exploited CVE-2026-56164 in Swiss government SharePoint servers to extract IIS machine keys and forge authentication tokens. The privilege escalation enabled lateral movement across 200+ compromised accounts. Runtime segmentation could have limited
@aviatrixtrc· Aug 7, 2026
34 more posts on this CVEShowing 5 of 39 · Who is discussing this CVE, and how loudlyUnlock freeDetection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019, Microsoft SharePoint Server Subscription Edition.
- Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 12 public PoC repositories were reported.
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.
1 more threat groups on this CVEShowing 5 of 6 · Attribution, campaigns and the malware each one runsUnlock free- hostnamesharepoint.com
AlienVault OTX Feeds · May 27, 2025
- hostnameakadns.net
SOCRadar Internet Wide-Scanner · Mar 3, 2025
- hostname238-ipv4v6e.clump.dprodmgd108.aa-rt.sharepoint.com
SOCRadar Attack Surface Intelligence(ASI) · Aug 22, 2026
- hostnamehoracemannptsa-my.sharepoint.com
SOCRadar Attack Surface Intelligence(ASI) · Aug 22, 2026
- hostname201070-ipv4v6.farm.dprodmgd108.aa-rt.sharepoint.com.dual-spo-0005.spo-msedge.net
SOCRadar Attack Surface Intelligence(ASI) · Aug 22, 2026
5 more indicators on this CVEShowing 5 of 10 · Hashes, addresses and domains from a live threat exchangeUnlock freeTimeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.
- 2026
Cve is exploited WismanSec/sharepoint-2026-poc
Aug 7, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
Cve is exploited sam00/POC-CVE-2026-56164-exploit
Aug 6, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
Added to CISA KEV catalog
Jul 14, 2026 · CISA
Added · CVSS 3.1 9.8 (AV:N)
Jul 14, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Jul 14, 2026 · NVD
Source activity
Readings a source repeats on a schedule, counted rather than listed.
- 17×SVRS was changedJul 15, 2026 – Aug 29, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
- 17×TweetsJul 16, 2026 – Aug 28, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
- 2×Github ReposJul 26, 2026 – Aug 6, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
- 1×1 time mentioned on 1 Telegram channelJul 26, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
References
6 on the record
- msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-56164
Vendor Advisory, Mitre, NIST
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-56164
US Government Resource, NIST
- msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2026-56164
Vendor Advisory
- www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
US Government Resource
- www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
US Government Resource
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-56164
Vendor Advisory
Coverage
18 stories from the feeds we poll
The July 2026 Security Update Review
Zero Day Initiative · Jul 14, 2026
Hackers target Microsoft SharePoint RCE chain with PoC exploit - BleepingComputer
bleepingcomputer.com · Aug 26, 2026
SharePoint CVE-2026-55040 Actively Exploited: Attackers Forge Admin Credentials With No Password - Tech Times
techtimes.com · Aug 14, 2026
SharePoint Vulnerability Exploited Shortly After PoC Release - SecurityWeek
securityweek.com · Aug 12, 2026
Swiss authorities urge calm amid fears over SharePoint credential leak
itpro.com · Aug 10, 2026
13 more reports on this CVEShowing 5 of 18 · Vendor research and security press coverageUnlock freeElsewhere on this site
- Microsoftevery CVE for this vendor
- July 2026what else CISA listed
- Auth Bypasssame class
- CWE-306other 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-2026-56164 is Microsoft SharePoint Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability, a critical vulnerability affecting Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019, Microsoft SharePoint Server Subscription Edition from Microsoft. The current evidence lists it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Yes: CISA KEV signal present. Public exploit evidence is: 12 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 9.8 describes technical severity, while EPSS 27% 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.