📄 Description (English)
Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability — Microsoft SharePoint fails to check the source markup of an application package. An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability could run remote code in the context of the SharePoint application pool and the SharePoint server farm account.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2019-0604 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft SharePoint that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting improper validation of application package source markup. With a CVSS score of 9.0 and confirmed public exploits available, this vulnerability has been actively weaponized in the wild, including by nation-state threat actors. Successful exploitation grants code execution in the context of the SharePoint application pool and farm account, potentially leading to full server compromise and lateral movement across enterprise networks. This vulnerability has been exploited in targeted attacks against government and enterprise organizations globally.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 12, 2026 09:32
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability poses an extremely high risk to Saudi organizations given the widespread deployment of Microsoft SharePoint across government ministries, semi-government entities, and large enterprises. Government sector (NCA-regulated entities) using SharePoint as an intranet or document management platform face the highest risk of full server compromise and data exfiltration. ARAMCO and energy sector organizations using SharePoint for internal collaboration and document workflows are at significant risk of operational disruption. Banking and financial institutions regulated by SAMA that use SharePoint for internal portals could face unauthorized access to sensitive financial data. Telecom operators such as STC using SharePoint for enterprise collaboration are also at elevated risk. Given that this vulnerability has been exploited by APT groups including those linked to Middle East-targeted campaigns, Saudi organizations should treat this as an active threat requiring immediate remediation.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Government
Energy
Banking
Telecom
Healthcare
Education
Defense
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
9.5
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Isolate all internet-facing SharePoint servers from external access immediately if unpatched.
2. Audit SharePoint server logs for indicators of compromise including unusual application package uploads and suspicious process spawning from SharePoint worker processes (w3wp.exe).
3. Disable the ability for non-administrative users to upload application packages to SharePoint.
PATCHING GUIDANCE:
4. Apply Microsoft security updates immediately — patches are available for SharePoint Server 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 via Microsoft Security Update Guide (KB4461548, KB4461549, KB4462143, KB4462155, KB4462171).
5. Prioritize patching internet-facing SharePoint instances before internal ones.
6. Verify patch installation using Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer or equivalent tooling.
COMPENSATING CONTROLS (if patching is delayed):
7. Restrict SharePoint application package upload permissions to highly privileged administrators only.
8. Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules targeting SharePoint exploitation attempts.
9. Enable network segmentation to limit lateral movement from compromised SharePoint servers.
10. Monitor and alert on process creation from IIS worker processes (w3wp.exe spawning cmd.exe, powershell.exe, etc.).
DETECTION RULES:
11. SIEM Rule: Alert on w3wp.exe spawning cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or wscript.exe on SharePoint servers.
12. Monitor for unusual file writes to SharePoint web directories.
13. Enable Windows Event ID 4688 (process creation) logging on SharePoint servers.
14. Deploy Sigma rule: process_creation where ParentImage contains 'w3wp.exe' and Image contains 'cmd.exe' or 'powershell.exe'.
15. Check threat intelligence feeds for IOCs associated with CVE-2019-0604 exploitation campaigns.
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. عزل جميع خوادم SharePoint المكشوفة على الإنترنت فوراً إذا لم يتم تطبيق التحديثات الأمنية.
2. مراجعة سجلات خادم SharePoint للكشف عن مؤشرات الاختراق بما في ذلك عمليات رفع حزم التطبيقات غير المعتادة والعمليات المشبوهة الصادرة من عمليات SharePoint.
3. تعطيل قدرة المستخدمين غير الإداريين على رفع حزم التطبيقات إلى SharePoint.
إرشادات التصحيح:
4. تطبيق تحديثات الأمان من Microsoft فوراً — التحديثات متاحة لـ SharePoint Server 2010 و2013 و2016 و2019.
5. إعطاء الأولوية لتصحيح مثيلات SharePoint المكشوفة على الإنترنت قبل الداخلية.
6. التحقق من تثبيت التحديثات باستخدام أدوات التحقق المناسبة.
ضوابط التعويض (في حالة تأخر التصحيح):
7. تقييد أذونات رفع حزم تطبيقات SharePoint للمسؤولين ذوي الصلاحيات العالية فقط.
8. نشر جدار حماية تطبيقات الويب (WAF) مع قواعد تستهدف محاولات استغلال SharePoint.
9. تفعيل تجزئة الشبكة للحد من الحركة الجانبية من خوادم SharePoint المخترقة.
10. مراقبة وتنبيه إنشاء العمليات من عمليات IIS.
قواعد الكشف:
11. قاعدة SIEM: تنبيه عند إنشاء w3wp.exe لعمليات cmd.exe أو powershell.exe على خوادم SharePoint.
12. مراقبة عمليات الكتابة غير المعتادة في مجلدات الويب الخاصة بـ SharePoint.
13. تفعيل تسجيل معرف الحدث 4688 على خوادم SharePoint.
14. نشر قواعد Sigma للكشف عن العمليات الفرعية المشبوهة.
15. مراجعة موجزات استخبارات التهديدات للكشف عن مؤشرات الاختراق المرتبطة بحملات استغلال CVE-2019-0604.
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC-1-4-2: Patch Management and Vulnerability Management
ECC-2-3-1: Protection of Web Applications
ECC-2-5-1: Network Security and Segmentation
ECC-3-3-3: Security Monitoring and Log Management
ECC-1-3-6: Cybersecurity Incident Management
🔵 SAMA CSF
3.3.5 - Vulnerability Management
3.3.6 - Patch Management
3.4.2 - Web Application Security
3.3.9 - Security Monitoring and Analytics
3.2.5 - Access Control Management
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.12.6.1 - Management of Technical Vulnerabilities
A.14.2.2 - System Change Control Procedures
A.12.4.1 - Event Logging
A.13.1.3 - Segregation in Networks
A.16.1.1 - Responsibilities and Procedures for Incident Management
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0
Requirement 6.3.3 - All system components are protected from known vulnerabilities by installing applicable security patches
Requirement 6.4.1 - Web-facing applications are protected against attacks
Requirement 10.2 - Audit logs capture all individual user access to cardholder data
🔗 References & Sources 0
No references.
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
Microsoft:SharePoint