Atomicorp WAF Research Note: CVE-2021-41349

Microsoft Exchange Server Pre-Auth POST Based Cross-Site Scripting

CVE Details

• Already protected by existing Atomicorp WAF rules
• Protection status: Understanding Atomicorp WAF Protection Status
• CVE: CVE-2021-41349
• Name: Microsoft Exchange Server Pre-Auth POST Based Cross-Site Scripting
• Severity: Medium
• CVSS: 6.5 (v3.1) (Medium)
• CVSS version: 3.1
• CVSS source: microsoft CNA
• CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
  • Attack vector: Network
  • Attack complexity: Low
  • Privileges required: None
  • User interaction: Required
  • Scope: Unchanged
  • Confidentiality impact: High
  • Integrity impact: None
  • Availability impact: None
• CWE: N/A
• Vendor: microsoft
• Vulnerable product: exchange server
• CVE published: 2021-11-10
• CVE last modified: 2026-08-19
• Affected versions (NVD configurations):
  • exchange server: 2013 cumulative_update_23
  • exchange server: 2016 cumulative_update_21
  • exchange server: 2016 cumulative_update_22
  • exchange server: 2019 cumulative_update_10
  • exchange server: 2019 cumulative_update_11
• EPSS: 0.9350; 99.8th percentile (FIRST (opens in a new tab) )
• Latest Update: 2026-09-06
• Selected Rule IDs observed: 340147 , 340148 , 342259 , 346755 , 350148
• Matching rules: 5; rules with blocking actions: 5
• Would-block Rule IDs: 340147 , 340148 , 342259 , 346755 , 350148
• Request surfaces inspected: JSON request data, Request URI, Request argument names, Request arguments, Request cookies, Request filename, Request headers, SOAP request data, XML request data

Vulnerability Description

Microsoft Exchange Server Spoofing Vulnerability

Recommended Actions

1. Maintain the observed Atomicorp protections. Keep your Atomicorp commercial rules current and confirm that the selected observed rules (340147 , 340148 , 342259 , 346755 , 350148 ) have not been locally disabled. Atomicorp commercial rules are enabled by default. If you use Atomic WAF, review the applicable policy and rule settings.

2. Apply the vendor’s remediation. WAF protection is defense in depth and does not replace upgrading or following the affected vendor’s guidance.

   • Affected versions: Microsoft Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 23 versions earlier than 15.00.1497.026.
   • Affected versions: Microsoft Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 21 versions earlier than 15.01.2308.020.
   • Affected versions: Microsoft Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 22 versions earlier than 15.01.2375.017.
   • Affected versions: Microsoft Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 10 versions earlier than 15.02.0792.019.
   • Affected versions: Microsoft Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 11 versions earlier than 15.02.0986.014.
   • The CVE record does not include written upgrade or workaround instructions, but it does publish the following patch or mitigation reference:
     • Patch or mitigation information (opens in a new tab)

3. Validate after changes. Confirm rule updates are current, review WAF events for the affected application, and test application behavior after vendor upgrades, mitigations, or local policy changes.

Research Notes

Atomicorp WAF protections are designed around attack techniques and exploit behaviors, allowing existing protections to apply across multiple vulnerabilities without requiring a unique rule for every CVE.

Public Vulnerability References

• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• CVE Record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE authority reference: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-41349 (opens in a new tab)
• Vendor advisory: https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-41349 (opens in a new tab)

Test or Research Source

• Source: http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-41349.yaml (opens in a new tab)
• Tags: cve, cve2021, exchange, microsoft, vkev, vuln, xss

Research Note Context

This research note documents exploit-technique analysis associated with this vulnerability and references Atomicorp WAF protections observed during engineering review, testing, or validation activities.

Atomicorp security controls are generally designed to identify and mitigate attack techniques and exploit behaviors rather than individual CVE identifiers. As a result, protections developed for one vulnerability may also apply to related attack variants and future vulnerabilities using similar techniques.

Learn More

Atomicorp develops commercially supported security technologies for web applications, servers, endpoints, workloads, and legacy enterprise platforms.

Organizations interested in protecting systems against exploit techniques associated with vulnerabilities such as this one can learn more about:

• Atomic ModSecurity Rules: commercially maintained WAF rules for ModSecurity deployments, including protections for web attacks, bots, scanners, malware, exploitation attempts, and emerging vulnerability classes.
• Atomic WAF: an enterprise web application firewall with Atomicorp rules, centralized management, reporting, authentication controls, and operational tooling.
• Atomic ModSecurity Integrator: a special licensing option for MSPs, MSSPs, OEMs, VARs, reverse proxy providers, and other integrators who want to incorporate Atomicorp ModSecurity rule technology into their own products or services.
• Atomic OSSEC: an enterprise OSSEC-based intrusion detection, compliance, and security monitoring platform.
• Atomic Protector: workload protection for Linux, web, cloud, data center, and hybrid environments.

For additional information, product evaluations, or technical discussions, visit https://www.atomicorp.com/ or https://modsecurity.io/ (opens in a new tab) .