CVE-2024-21410: Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation

CVE-2024-21410 Overview

Microsoft Exchange Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Critical Impact
This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing attackers to gain administrative privileges on affected systems. With a CVSS score of 9.8, it poses a severe risk to organizations using Microsoft Exchange Server.

Affected Products

Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 23
Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 13
Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 14

Discovery Timeline

Not Available - Vulnerability discovered by Not Available
Not Available - Responsible disclosure to Microsoft
Not Available - CVE CVE-2024-21410 assigned
Not Available - Microsoft releases security patch
2024-02-13 - CVE CVE-2024-21410 published to NVD
2025-10-28 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-21410

Vulnerability Analysis

This elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server due to insufficient input validation. It allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges by sending specially crafted requests.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-21410 is improper handling of authentication tokens, which can be manipulated to bypass security checks.

Attack Vector

The attack can be executed over the network with no prior authentication, making it exploitable across a wide range of scenarios.

powershell

# Example exploitation code (sanitized)
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://vulnerable-exchange-server/exploit" -Method POST -Body $Payload

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-21410

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected changes in administrative privileges
Unusual authentication logs
Anomalous HTTP requests to Exchange endpoints

Detection Strategies

Leverage advanced threat detection capabilities to monitor for abnormal system behaviors and unauthorized access attempts. Consider correlating logs from Exchange Server with network traffic analysis.

Monitoring Recommendations

Set up monitoring for changes in the Exchange Server configuration files and privilege escalation attempts. Utilize endpoint detection tools such as SentinelOne to provide real-time alerts on suspicious activities.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-21410

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the latest security patches from Microsoft immediately
Enable strict network segmentation to restrict access to the Exchange Server
Implement robust logging and monitoring to detect unauthorized access

Patch Information

Microsoft has issued patches addressing this vulnerability. Users should visit Microsoft's Advisory and apply the relevant updates.

Workarounds

Implement network-level controls to limit access to the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) and the Exchange Web Services (EWS).

bash

# Configuration example
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s <trusted-ip> -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP