Authenticated code execution via WebPart namespace mismatch
Published May 11, 2021 · Updated Feb 28, 2025
Code injection in SharePoint builds before 15.0.5345.1000, 16.0.5161.1000, or 16.0.10374.20000 allows remote authenticated users to run code. EditingPageParser.VerifyControlOnSafeList fails to trim a Register directive namespace before resolving it, while later processing trims the value and instantiates a blocked XmlDataSource control; the control reads web.config so its machine key can sign a malicious ViewState. Exploitation requires ManageLists permission, which authenticated users can obtain by creating a site under the documented default configuration, and commands run as the SharePoint web application service account.
Summary
What happened
Code injection in SharePoint builds before 15.0.5345.1000, 16.0.5161.1000, or 16.0.10374.20000 allows remote authenticated users to run code. EditingPageParser.VerifyControlOnSafeList fails to trim a Register directive namespace before resolving it, while later processing trims the value and instantiates a blocked XmlDataSource control; the control reads web.config so its machine key can sign a malicious ViewState. Exploitation requires ManageLists permission, which authenticated users can obtain by creating a site under the documented default configuration, and commands run as the SharePoint web application service account.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-31181
- Published
- May 11, 2021
- Updated
- Feb 28, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2013
- Classifications
- CWE-94, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 11, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 28, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=15.0.0 <15.0.5345.1000
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- ZDI WebPart and ViewState proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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
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