Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- EPSS is 1.80% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2020
CVE-2020-16944High confidence
Microsoft SharePoint Reflective XSS Vulnerability
Microsoft · Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016
8.7HighCVSS 3.1
Within 7 days
Patch availableHigh technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityHigh→Operational priority:High, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
- Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs Microsoft Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.
Patch available01
What, why and how
<p>This vulnerability is caused when SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.</p> <p>An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. The attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could then perform cross-site scripting attacks on affected systems and run script in the security context of the current user. These attacks could allow the attacker to read content that the attacker is not authorized to read, use the victim's identity to take actions on the SharePoint site on behalf of the victim, such as change permissions, delete content, steal sensitive information (such as browser cookies) and inject malicious content in the browser of the victim.</p> <p>For this vulnerability to be exploited, a user must click a specially crafted URL that takes the user to a targeted SharePoint Web App site.</p> <p>In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending an email message containing the specially crafted URL to the user of the targeted SharePoint Web App site and convincing the user to click the specially crafted URL.</p> <p>In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a website that contains a specially crafted URL to the targeted SharePoint Web App site that is used to attempt to exploit these vulnerabilities. In addition, compromised websites and websites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince them to visit the website, typically by getting them to click a link in an instant messenger or email message that takes them to the attacker's website, and then convince them to click the specially crafted URL.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by helping to ensure that SharePoint Server properly sanitizes user web requests.</p>
What
<p>This vulnerability is caused when SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.</p> <p>An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. The attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could then perform cross-site scripting attacks on affected systems and run script in the security context of the current user. These attacks could allow the attacker to read content that the attacker is not authorized to read, use the victim's identity to take actions on the SharePoint site on behalf of the victim, such as change permissions, delete content, steal sensitive information (such as browser cookies) and inject malicious content in the browser of the victim.</p> <p>For this vulnerability to be exploited, a user must click a specially crafted URL that takes the user to a targeted SharePoint Web App site.</p> <p>In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending an email message containing the specially crafted URL to the user of the targeted SharePoint Web App site and convincing the user to click the specially crafted URL.</p> <p>In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a website that contains a specially crafted URL to the targeted SharePoint Web App site that is used to attempt to exploit these vulnerabilities. In addition, compromised websites and websites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince them to visit the website, typically by getting them to click a link in an instant messenger or email message that takes them to the attacker's website, and then convince them to click the specially crafted URL.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by helping to ensure that SharePoint Server properly sanitizes user web requests.</p>
Why
Attacker-controlled content can reach a browser as executable script without sufficient output encoding or sanitisation.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may obtain information outside the intended access boundary.
What
<p>This vulnerability is caused when SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server.</p> <p>An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to an affected SharePoint server. The attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could then perform cross-site scripting attacks on affected systems and run script in the security context of the current user. These attacks could allow the attacker to read content that the attacker is not authorized to read, use the victim's identity to take actions on the SharePoint site on behalf of the victim, such as change permissions, delete content, steal sensitive information (such as browser cookies) and inject malicious content in the browser of the victim.</p> <p>For this vulnerability to be exploited, a user must click a specially crafted URL that takes the user to a targeted SharePoint Web App site.</p> <p>In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending an email message containing the specially crafted URL to the user of the targeted SharePoint Web App site and convincing the user to click the specially crafted URL.</p> <p>In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a website that contains a specially crafted URL to the targeted SharePoint Web App site that is used to attempt to exploit these vulnerabilities. In addition, compromised websites and websites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content that could exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a specially crafted website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince them to visit the website, typically by getting them to click a link in an instant messenger or email message that takes them to the attacker's website, and then convince them to click the specially crafted URL.</p> <p>The security update addresses the vulnerability by helping to ensure that SharePoint Server properly sanitizes user web requests.</p>
Why
Attacker-controlled content can reach a browser as executable script without sufficient output encoding or sanitisation.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may obtain information outside the intended access boundary.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- a network path → Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') → obtain information outside the intended access boundary
- Attack surface
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low: a basic authenticated account is required
- User interaction
- Required interaction required
- Attack complexity
- Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
- Security boundary
- Changed: exploitation can affect a different security authority
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-79 ↗
CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'). The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:CCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRLowPrivileges required: The attacker needs basic user-level privileges.UIRequiredUser interaction: Another user must perform an action for exploitation to succeed.SChangedScope: The attack can affect a component governed by a different security authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Patch available
- Affected
- Action
- Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 16 Oct 2020 · Last source change 4 Aug 2024, 13:45 UTC · CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2020-8902
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceNIST NVD
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
No material field changes have been recorded since change tracking began. Routine source refreshes and cosmetic edits are intentionally excluded.
CVE published
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.