The Alarming Rise in Exploits Targeting Collaboration Platforms

400+ Organizations Breached via SharePoint: What This Means for Enterprise Cybersecurity

Microsoft SharePoint is a widely trusted and powerful platform that enables secure collaboration, document management, and digital workflows for enterprises around the world. However, like any complex platform, it must be properly secured and maintained to remain resilient against emerging cyber threats.

As of July 2025, globally, over 400 organizations have been impacted by ongoing attacks that exploit newly disclosed vulnerabilities in SharePoint servers, including CVE‑2025‑49704 (a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability) and CVE‑2025‑49706 (a network spoofing vulnerability)[1].

The Vulnerability Behind the Breach

The attackers are taking advantage of the combination of the vulnerability chain disclosed in July 2025 and the companies’ misconfiguration, which lead to their evolving threat tactic in gaining unauthenticated access to SharePoint systems. Microsoft has released emergency patches to address these issues, but many organizations did not apply them before the exploitation began. Unfortunately, many affected organizations had not yet implemented the update, which allowed attackers to gain unauthorized access to SharePoint servers. From there, malicious actors were able to move laterally within networks, exfiltrate data, and establish persistent access.

Who’s at Risk?

This attack campaign has impacted a wide range of sectors, including finance, healthcare, government, and education, proving that threat actors are opportunistic and will target any unpatched instance they can find. It’s important to stress: this is not a failure of SharePoint itself, but a consequence of delayed action on known security gaps.

What This Tells Us About Cybersecurity Readiness

This incident is a broader reflection of persistent issues across the cybersecurity landscape, including:

• Incomplete patch management
• Overreliance on default configurations
• Insufficient visibility across internal platforms
• Weak segmentation of internal systems

Many organizations assume cloud-based and enterprise-grade platforms are inherently secure. While these platforms offer strong built-in protections, they still require organizations to configure, monitor, and update them consistently.

Key Lessons for Security and IT Leaders

1. Act Quickly on Patches
   Microsoft addressed this vulnerability promptly. The organizations affected were largely those that had not yet deployed the patch. Timely patching is critical.
2. Embrace the Zero Trust Model
   Assume every device and user must be verified. Apply least privilege access and multi-factor authentication, especially on systems that hold sensitive information.
3. Make Collaboration Tools Part of Security Strategy
   Platforms like SharePoint are central to operations and should be routinely audited as part of a broader risk management strategy.
4. Invest in Monitoring and Logging
   Many breaches go undetected for weeks. Comprehensive logging, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) integration, and anomaly detection help identify threats earlier.
5. Train and Simulate
   Use real-world incidents like this one in tabletop exercises. Build a culture where cyber awareness is continuous, not a once-a-year checklist.

Final Thought: Tools Are Only as Secure as Their Implementation

This ongoing campaign is not about SharePoint being unsafe, it is about the consequences of overlooking maintenance and governance of mission-critical systems. Enterprise platforms are secure when configured and managed properly. But even the best tools can be compromised if organizations fall behind on basic cyber hygiene.

In the era of hybrid work, trusted platforms must be recognized and treated as strategic assets, not just passive assets within your security program. As the threat landscape is evolving rapidly, any overlooked vulnerability becomes an open invitation for attackers who are watching for any existing gap.

[1] Customer guidance for SharePoint vulnerability CVE-2025-53770 | MSRC Blog | Microsoft Security Response Center