Skip to content
Vol. 1 · Ed. 2026
CyberGlossary
Entry № 980

ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855)

Reviewed byCybersecurity entrepreneur & security researcher

What is ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855)?

ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855)A 2021 server-side request forgery in Microsoft Exchange Server that, chained with three other CVEs, allowed unauthenticated attackers to take over on-prem Exchange.


ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855) is a pre-authentication SSRF in Microsoft Exchange Server that lets an attacker send arbitrary HTTP requests as the Exchange server. Chained with CVE-2021-26857, CVE-2021-26858 and CVE-2021-27065, attackers achieved unauthenticated remote code execution on on-premises Exchange and planted web shells on tens of thousands of mailboxes worldwide in early 2021. Microsoft attributed initial exploitation to the HAFNIUM group; mass exploitation by multiple actors followed within days of the March 2021 emergency patch. Defences: apply the March 2021 security updates (and later cumulative updates), run the Microsoft Safety Scanner and HAFNIUM IOC scripts, and migrate where possible to Exchange Online.

Examples

  1. 01

    HAFNIUM exploiting ProxyLogon to install China Chopper web shells across thousands of Exchange servers.

  2. 02

    Cryptojacking groups dropping XMRig miners on Exchange hosts compromised via ProxyLogon.

Frequently asked questions

What is ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855)?

A 2021 server-side request forgery in Microsoft Exchange Server that, chained with three other CVEs, allowed unauthenticated attackers to take over on-prem Exchange. It belongs to the Vulnerabilities category of cybersecurity.

What does ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855) mean?

A 2021 server-side request forgery in Microsoft Exchange Server that, chained with three other CVEs, allowed unauthenticated attackers to take over on-prem Exchange.

How do you defend against ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855)?

Defences for ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855) typically combine technical controls and operational practices, as detailed in the full definition above.

What are other names for ProxyLogon (CVE-2021-26855)?

Common alternative names include: CVE-2021-26855, Exchange SSRF chain.

Related terms