CVE-2021-28450Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Authenticated service interruption via validator regex backtracking

Published Apr 13, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Regular expression denial of service in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 through 2019 allows remote authenticated users to interrupt service. The InputFormRegularExpressionValidator class accepts a user-controlled ValidationExpression without adequate validation, enabling catastrophic backtracking during regular-expression evaluation. An authenticated SharePoint account is required, and the documented consequence is availability loss rather than data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity5.0
Medium
EPSS probability2.40%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Regular expression denial of service in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 through 2019 allows remote authenticated users to interrupt service. The InputFormRegularExpressionValidator class accepts a user-controlled ValidationExpression without adequate validation, enabling catastrophic backtracking during regular-expression evaluation. An authenticated SharePoint account is required, and the documented consequence is availability loss rather than data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-28450
Published
Apr 13, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016
Classifications
T1499.003
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 13, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=16.0.0 <publication

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016version=16.0.0 <publication
Microsoft · Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013version=15.0.0 <publication
Microsoft · Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019version=16.0.0 <publication
Microsoft · Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010version=13.0.0 <publication

Published CVSS scores

5.0Microsoft CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L
6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.003Application Exhaustion Flood

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo