Microsoft has announced a critical SharePoint server breach affecting thousands of systems, prompting global cybersecurity efforts and emergency fixes, Bloomberg is reporting.
The breach has prompted an urgent response from cybersecurity agencies, Microsoft engineers, and national governments, as investigations continue to uncover the extent of the damage.
The vulnerability, which surfaced in recent days, allows attackers to execute remote commands, access encrypted keys, and establish long-term backdoor control over affected systems. Microsoft confirmed the flaw as a zero-day exploit, meaning it was actively being used by hackers before a patch was available.
The flaw has been identified in SharePoint Server 2016, 2019, and the Subscription Edition used by thousands of companies, government agencies, and universities worldwide.
Cybersecurity researchers believe the exploit began spreading in mid-July. A Dutch security company was among the first to identify the intrusion and has since confirmed that dozens of servers have already been compromised. Industry-wide scans estimate that over eight thousand systems remain at risk, with the number of impacted organizations expected to grow as forensics teams continue their analysis.
Microsoft has released emergency security updates for most affected versions of SharePoint, although a permanent fix for the 2016 edition is still in development. In the meantime, system administrators are being advised to disconnect vulnerable servers from the internet.
The United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, along with the FBI and international counterparts in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, is currently coordinating response efforts.
This latest breach adds to a growing list of high-profile security failures involving Microsoft’s enterprise software. Just last year, federal officials criticized the company after a separate attack compromised Exchange Online, exposing sensitive government email accounts.
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