CVE-2025-49704 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-94, which pertains to improper control of code generation, commonly known as code injection. This vulnerability affects Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, specifically version 16.0.0. The flaw allows an authorized attacker—meaning someone with legitimate access privileges—to execute arbitrary code remotely over a network without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability arises due to insufficient validation or sanitization of input that is used in code generation processes within SharePoint, enabling the attacker to inject and execute malicious code. Given that SharePoint is widely used for collaboration, document management, and intranet portals, exploitation could lead to full compromise of the affected server. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, indicating a high level of severity, with attack vector being network-based, low attack complexity, requiring privileges but no user interaction, and impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a high degree. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, suggesting this is a newly disclosed vulnerability that requires urgent attention from administrators.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant due to the widespread use of Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 in enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure sectors. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, enabling attackers to steal sensitive data, alter or delete critical documents, disrupt business operations, or establish persistent footholds within corporate networks. Given the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact, organizations could face data breaches, compliance violations (e.g., GDPR), reputational damage, and operational downtime. The requirement for an authorized user to exploit the vulnerability means insider threats or compromised credentials could be leveraged by attackers. The remote network exploitability increases the risk of lateral movement and broader network compromise. European entities in sectors such as finance, healthcare, public administration, and manufacturing, which rely heavily on SharePoint for collaboration and document management, are particularly at risk.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting access to SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 to trusted users only, enforcing strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 2. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit exposure of SharePoint servers to only necessary internal and external networks. 3. Monitor logs and network traffic for unusual activities indicative of code injection attempts or privilege escalation. 4. Apply principle of least privilege to user accounts with access to SharePoint to minimize the potential impact of exploitation. 5. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or restricting features that involve dynamic code generation or custom scripting within SharePoint. 6. Conduct thorough security assessments and penetration testing focused on SharePoint environments to identify potential exploitation paths. 7. Prepare incident response plans specifically addressing SharePoint compromise scenarios. 8. Stay updated with Microsoft advisories and apply patches promptly once available.