A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange Server when the server fails to properly create unique keys at install time.
Knowledge of the validation key allows an authenticated user with a mailbox to pass arbitrary objects to be deserialized by the web application, which runs as SYSTEM.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Microsoft Exchange creates the keys during install.
Microsoft Exchange Server
CVE-2020-0688
Remote Code Execution
The following table provides an exploitability assessment for this vulnerability at the time of original publication.
| Publicly Disclosed |
No |
| Exploited |
No |
| Latest Software Release |
1 - Exploitation More Likely |
| Older Software Release |
1 - Exploitation More Likely |
| Denial of Service |
N/A |
8.8 - High
An attacker could gain code execution on affected Exchange servers by sending a specially crafted e-mail. No other user interaction is required. The code execution occurs at System-level permissions, so the attacker could completely take control of an Exchange server through a single e-mail.