Security Resilience

CVE-2023-36745

Deserialization in Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 … 2019

Published
12 September 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.0
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.80 99.6th percentile
Risk Priority 84 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-36745 is a high-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange Server. Its CVSS base score is 8.0 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Junk Data (T1001.001); ranked in the top 0.4% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

Microsoft Exchange Server is affected by a remote code execution vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-36745. The flaw, which carries a CVSS score of 8.0, is associated with CWE-502 and was disclosed on September 12, 2023.

An attacker with low privileges on an adjacent network can exploit the issue without user interaction to execute arbitrary code, resulting in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the affected system.

Microsoft has published advisories addressing the vulnerability at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-36745. The exploitation probability stands at a current EPSS value of 0.7359, which matches its recorded peak.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control
Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.
T1001.003 Protocol or Service Impersonation Command And Control
Adversaries may impersonate legitimate protocols or web service traffic to disguise command and control activity and thwart analysis efforts.
T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
T1003.007 Proc Filesystem Credential Access
Adversaries may gather credentials from the proc filesystem or `/proc`.
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
T1006 Direct Volume Access Stealth
Adversaries may directly access a volume to bypass file access controls and file system monitoring.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-38181Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2020-17144Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-21706Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2022-41082Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-21707Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-36050Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-28310Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-21529Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-36757Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2023-21710Same product: Microsoft Exchange Server

Affected Assets

microsoft
exchange server
2016, 2019

Mitigating Controls

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-502

Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.

addresses: CWE-502

Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.

addresses: CWE-502

Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.

addresses: CWE-502

Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.

addresses: CWE-502

Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.

addresses: CWE-502

Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.

addresses: CWE-502

Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or processing occurs.

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.PS-02 none match
blocks

PR.PS-02 addresses only post-deployment updates/patching and cannot prevent introduction of unsafe deserialization code, yet it can remediate some instances when the flaw exists in outdated libraries or components.

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.

removes
removes
removes
removes
removes

References