# CVE-2018-8265: Code injection in Microsoft Exchange Server

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code remotely by sending specially crafted email messages to Microsoft Exchange Server.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Oct 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9g95-pgx7-jwh2

## What is CVE-2018-8265?

CVE-2018-8265 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange Server, published on 10 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way Microsoft Exchange software parses specially crafted email messages, aka "Microsoft Exchange Remote Code Execution Vulnerability." This affects Microsoft Exchange Server.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-8265?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Exchange Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-8265?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-8265 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-8265 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-8265 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server

- [CVE-2024-21410](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21410/): Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-34473](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34473/): Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution (critical 9.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-26855](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-26855/): Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution (critical 9.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-34523](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34523/): Microsoft Exchange Server Privilege Escalation (critical 9.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-21529](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-21529/): Microsoft Exchange Server Deserialization of Untrusted Data (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-8265 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-8265 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange Server, published on 10 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-8265 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Exchange Server. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8265/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8265/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-8265
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8265
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-8265

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8265/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.