Cyber Resilience

CVE-2021-31195

Auth Bypass in Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 … 2019

High EPSSAuth Bypass
Published
11 May 2021
Modified
28 February 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 6.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.74 99.4th percentile
Risk Priority 80 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2021-31195 is a medium-severity Authentication Bypass by Spoofing (CWE-290) vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange Server. Its CVSS base score is 6.5 (Medium).

Operationally, ranked in the top 0.6% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CWE(s)

Related Threats

Likely ATT&CK TechniquesAI

Techniques this vulnerability likely enables, inferred from its description, weakness type, and attributed-actor tradecraft. Confidence is per-technique.

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Accessconfidence: HIGH
The vulnerability is a remote code execution flaw in a public-facing Exchange Server application, directly enabling initial access via exploitation of the exposed service.
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Executionconfidence: HIGH
Successful exploitation of the RCE vulnerability results in arbitrary code execution on the client/server side without user interaction beyond accessing the service.
inferred from description + CWE · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-36778Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2021-31196Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-36745Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2021-28480Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2020-17143Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-36777Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-21764Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-21710Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-38181Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-21761Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server

Affected Assets

microsoft
exchange server
2013, 2016, 2019

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 3 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V6.4.3
  • V10.4.16
  • V10.5.1
  • V11.4.3

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-290

Reveals spoofed logon attempts through unexpected previous logon timestamps upon legitimate login.

addresses: CWE-290

Training specifically addresses recognizing spoofed communications and phishing that enable authentication bypass.

addresses: CWE-290

Requiring verifiable identity evidence at appropriate assurance levels makes it substantially harder for attackers to successfully spoof or impersonate users to obtain accounts.

addresses: CWE-290

Unique device authentication makes successful spoofing of device identity substantially more difficult to achieve.

addresses: CWE-290

Unique identification of non-organizational users reduces the feasibility of authentication bypass by spoofing.

addresses: CWE-290

Unique identification and authentication of services before communications makes spoofing of service identities substantially harder.

addresses: CWE-290

Isolated trusted path ensures the user interacts only with genuine system components, preventing spoofing of authentication interfaces or prompts.

addresses: CWE-290

Directly counters DNS response spoofing by requiring cryptographic origin authentication artifacts from the authoritative source.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.AA-04 full match
prevents

Protecting, conveying, and verifying identity assertions specifically prevents the spoofing that enables authentication bypass.

PR.AA-03 mostly match
prevents

Requiring authentication of users/services/hardware directly counters spoofing-based bypass when strong methods are used.

PR.AA-02 partial match
prevents

Proofing and binding identities reduces spoofing opportunities during enrollment but does not address runtime authentication implementation flaws.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

degrades

Secure authentication control directly mitigates authentication bypass by spoofing.

degrades

Authentication information management directly addresses credential handling that prevents spoofing.

detects

Security testing can detect spoofing vulnerabilities but does not prevent them by itself.

prevents

Access control policy reduces spoofing opportunities but does not prescribe authentication mechanisms.

prevents

Identity management supports unique identities but does not guarantee resistance to spoofing.

prevents

Access rights assignment limits exposure but does not enforce authentication strength.

References