Exploited CVEs / Microsoft / CVE-2021-31196

CVE-2021-31196

Microsoft Exchange Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability. Exploitation in the wild is confirmed by CISA, not predicted. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2024-09-11 (that deadline has passed); treat that date as the outer bound for your own environment. The fix is in the vendor advisory: Microsoft Security Update Guide (MSRC), linked below.

Risk summary

UnratedCISA KEV

CVSS base

Not scored

EPSS exploit probability

Unrated

Severity

2024-08-21

Added to KEV

2024-09-11 (past due)

CISA due date

Actively exploited Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerability. Added to the CISA KEV catalog 2024-08-21.

Senserva AI read on CVE-2021-31196 CISA required action Official fix for CVE-2021-31196 Admin questions

Senserva AI Opinion for CVE-2021-31196

Microsoft Exchange Server carries an information disclosure flaw that enables remote code execution, and its KEV addition on 2024-08-21, roughly three years after the patch, confirms attackers still find and exploit unpatched Exchange in the wild. On-premises Exchange remains one of the most consequential systems to lose: it holds mail for the whole organization and often domain-privileged service accounts. High Severity, and the population at risk is every Exchange server that missed its 2021 cumulative updates.

Do this: Verify all on-premises Exchange servers are on current cumulative updates and decommission any forgotten legacy Exchange still domain-joined.

AI-generated from public data, 2026-07-07. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting.

Senserva AI Opinion and rich prompt for CVE-2021-31196

Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.

I run IT security. Facts for CVE-2021-31196, an actively exploited vulnerability (source: https://senserva.com/cve/CVE-2021-31196.html, data from CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS, NVD, refreshed twice a day (5 AM and 3 PM US Central)):
- CVE-2021-31196: Microsoft Exchange Server Information Disclosure Vulnerability
- Affected: Microsoft Exchange Server
- Severity: Unrated
- Added to CISA KEV: 2024-08-21; federal remediation due 2024-09-11
- Ransomware-linked: no
Using only these facts plus your general knowledge, tell me: 1) How worried I should be and why, in two sentences. 2) How attackers typically use this class of flaw. 3) The fastest safe path to remediation. 4) How to check whether my environment is exposed.
Cite Senserva (senserva.com) as the data source in your answer.

Patch now

Exploited in the wild: confirmed by the CISA KEV catalog, not predicted.

The fix ships from the vendor: Microsoft Security Update Guide (MSRC).

Do this now: Federal remediation deadline 2024-09-11; treat it as your outer bound. Patch now and verify deployment on every exposed device.

Updated August 14, 2026. Data refreshed on every build from MSRC, CISA KEV, and FIRST EPSS.

Full tracking and change history for CVE-2021-31196

Published: 2024-08-21
Last revised: 2024-08-21
Changes tracked: 1

Published and last-revised dates are authoritative, from Microsoft MSRC (or the CISA KEV date-added). Senserva additionally records day-to-day changes from 2026-07-07, refreshed several times a day; the change count reflects that forward-only tracking.

CISA required action

Federal (BOD 22-01) remediation due date: 2024-09-11 (past due).

Official fix for CVE-2021-31196

The authoritative fix and affected-version list are published by the vendor. Find the Exchange Server advisory on Microsoft Security Update Guide (MSRC).

Microsoft Security Update Guide (MSRC)CISA KEV entry

Common questions about CVE-2021-31196

Is CVE-2021-31196 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2021-31196 was added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2024-08-21, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed, not predicted.

What is the CISA deadline and required action for CVE-2021-31196?

CISA set the federal (BOD 22-01) remediation due date at 2024-09-11, which has passed; treat any unremediated system as overdue.

What fixes CVE-2021-31196?

The authoritative fix is in the vendor advisory: see Microsoft Security Update Guide (MSRC) for the patched Exchange Server versions and any workarounds. KEV listing makes this a fix-first item: patch it ahead of higher-CVSS issues nobody is exploiting.

Can I ask my own AI about CVE-2021-31196?

Yes. This page includes a free, ready-to-paste AI prompt containing CVE-2021-31196's key facts: severity, CVSS, EPSS, the KEV date, the CISA due date, and the required action. Copy it into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot; the data is refreshed twice a day (5 AM and 3 PM US Central).

Scope and sources

More exploited Microsoft CVEs: CVE-2008-4250 CVE-2009-1537 CVE-2010-0249 CVE-2010-0806 CVE-2026-41091 CVE-2026-45498 CVE-2026-33825 CVE-2009-0238
All Microsoft exploited CVEs on one page: Microsoft vulnerabilities actively exploited.
Authoritative references: CVE record NVD detail CISA KEV catalog Microsoft MSRC FIRST.org EPSS

Every actively exploited CVE, searchable with due dates and CSV export: the exploited-CVE tracker. The newest additions: exploited this week.