Statement on Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities

Microsoft released security updates for Microsoft (MS) Exchange server suite. Active exploitation has been observed on-premises running MS Exchange installations.

MS Exchange vulnerabilities once exploited may lead to network compromise, data exfiltration and ransomware attacks. Across the EU, an increasing number of MS Exchange installations have also been found to be the target of malicious attacks.

ENISA published a situation report which provides an assessment as well as advice and mitigation measures. It reports that threat has been assessed as severe and considers these types of attacks probable and of high risk.

The Agency calls on organisations using affected Microsoft Exchange versions to patch the flaws immediately and thoroughly investigate for potential signs of compromise.

At EU level, the EU CSIRTs Network and EU Cyber Crises Liaison Organisation Network (CyCLONe) are monitoring the situation and collecting information at both the technical and operational levels.

Microsoft is updating advisories and guidance while additional technical information and advice are provided by CERT-EU technical advisory.

Download the Report

Background

The EU Agency for Cybersecurity supports operational cooperation among Member States, Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, and between stakeholders. Under the EU Cybersecurity Act of 2019, the Agency gained an extended mandate to contribute to developing a cooperative response at Union and Member States level to large-scale cross-border incidents or crises related to cybersecurity.

ENISA provides the secretariat of the EU CSIRTs Network and CyCLONe, supporting their work by offering advice and assistance. The Agency provides strategic foresight and intelligence on cyber threats. The Agency contributes to situational awareness and shares knowledge and information with relevant stakeholders and investigates solutions to boost the efficiency of cyber responses in critical industries across Europe.

The CSIRTs Network is a network composed of EU Member States’ appointed CSIRTs and CERT-EU. The European Commission participates in the network as an observer and ENISA acts as the secretariat. The CSIRTs Network contributes to developing confidence and trust between the Member States and to promoting swift and effective operational cooperation.

The Cyber Crisis Liaison Organisation Network (CyCLONe) contributes to the implementation of the European Commission's Blueprint for rapid emergency response in case of a large-scale cross-border cyber incident or crisis and complements the existing cybersecurity structures at EU level by linking the cooperation at technical (e.g. Computer Security Incident Response Team - CSIRTs) and political levels (e.g. Integrated Political Crisis Response - IPCR). By doing so, the CyCLONe fulfils two objectives: enabling consultations on national response strategies and coordinated impact assessment on the anticipated or observed impacts of a crisis, to the benefit of policy decision-makers, both at national and EU level.

CERT-EU and ENISA have signed a memorandum of understanding in 2021 to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of the EU cybersecurity framework.

Contact

For questions related to the press and interviews, please contact press(at)enisa.europa.eu

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