Critical Microsoft Teams Vulnerabilities Expose Users to Message and Notification Manipulation
Check Point Research identified four severe security flaws in Microsoft Teams that potentially undermine trust in this leading communication platform. These weaknesses allow external attackers and malicious insiders to impersonate executives, alter messages stealthily, spoof notifications, and forge identities during video and audio calls.
With over 320 million active users monthly, Microsoft Teams is integral to business communications worldwide, making these vulnerabilities particularly dangerous for organizations.
Exploitation of Core Functions
Researchers demonstrated that attackers could exploit Teams' messaging and calling features through various attack techniques. By manipulating certain platform parameters, threat actors can convincingly impersonate trusted colleagues and senior leaders, exploiting the urgency usually associated with leadership communications.
Message Alteration Without Detection
One critical exploit involves the clientmessageid parameter, which attackers can use to edit messages without creating any audit trail. This manipulation enables malicious content to appear as legitimate communications from trusted sources.
Check Point Research stated: "Attackers could edit messages without leaving any audit trail by manipulating the clientmessageid parameter, making malicious content appear as legitimate communications from trusted sources."
Impersonation and Spoofing Tactics
- Executing impersonations of executives and colleagues
- Spoofing notifications to deceive users
- Forging caller identities during video and audio calls
These sophisticated methods highlight potential severe damage to organizational security if exploited.
Impact and Risk Overview
The vulnerabilities pose a significant global threat to organizations relying on Microsoft Teams for communication, emphasizing the need for robust security measures to defend against such manipulations.
Author's Summary
This discovery of critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft Teams reveals how attackers can deceptively manipulate messages and identities, threatening global business communication security.