The Breach That Broke the Trust

So, here’s the tea: between July 18–23, 2025, a catastrophic zero-day exploit hit on-premises SharePoint Server. And when I say catastrophic, I mean machine-keys-stolen-400-orgs-breached-by-Chinese-hackers catastrophic.

This whole mess, now nicknamed ToolShell, involved four CVEs: CVE‑2025‑49704, 49706, 53770, and 53771. It allowed attackers to bypass authentication, run remote code, and harvest machine keys—essentially giving them long-term backstage passes into compromised environments.

According to The Guardian, over 400 organizations were hit—including the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and U.S. health agencies like NIH and HHS. Microsoft confirmed that the attack was carried out by Chinese state-affiliated groups like Storm-2603 and Linen Typhoon (Microsoft’s official blog).

Patches were rushed out between July 20–22, but The Wall Street Journal reported that early fixes failed and attackers were still able to leverage stolen credentials—even after patching.

Why This Matters: The Cracks in SharePoint’s Armor

1. Post-Patch Persistence

Even if you patched your system, the machine keys that were stolen allow attackers to impersonate users or systems. That means they can keep poking around your environment long after you think you’re safe. Spooky, right?

2. Deep System Integration = Deep Trouble

SharePoint is like the kitchen sink of internal systems. It hooks into everything—Office, Teams, OneDrive. So once an attacker’s in, they’re not just in SharePoint. They’re in everything.

3. Microsoft’s Track Record Ain’t Great

This isn’t a one-off. Remember the 2023 MOVEit file transfer disaster? Microsoft’s ongoing trend of security lapses (and layoffs in their security QA teams) makes some experts wonder: should we keep trusting them for critical internal infrastructure?

Why Now Is the Moment to Say “Enough”

If you still rely on on-prem SharePoint, it’s time to take a long, hard look at what you’re risking:

• You can’t fully trust the fixes—because the stolen keys still work.

• U.S. officials are rethinking Microsoft’s role in safeguarding federal infrastructure. So should you.

• Cyber insurers are taking notice. Your premiums go up if your platform is a hot security mess.

And unless you're fully on SharePoint Online (which has its own issues), you’re sitting on a ticking time bomb.

What Should You Do?

✅ Emergency Mitigations

Start by following Microsoft’s official incident guidance:

• Apply the latest SharePoint patches

• Rotate your ASP.NET machine keys

• Restart services, enable AMSI, deploy Defender

• Run threat-hunting for web shells and lateral movement

But patching isn’t a plan. It’s a panic button.

🚀 The Smarter Play: Move On

Start planning your exit strategy:

• Phase out on-prem SharePoint for collaboration and file storage

• Migrate to modern, secure, cloud-native platforms

Consider alternatives that require zero server management, and come with real-time security updates, and zero on-prem attack surface.

Why Pebb Is a Safer, Smarter Alternative

At Pebb, we took a fresh approach to internal collaboration. No bulky on-prem servers. No weekly patch bingo. Just modern, cloud-secure communication tools your team can actually enjoy using.

Here’s what we offer that SharePoint doesn’t:

• 🔐 Cloud-native security: No shared keys, no local hosting, no lateral threat movement

• 💬 Real-time internal comms: Our News Feed, Chats, and Calls keep your teams connected instantly

• 🗂️ Centralized knowledge with Clubs and Knowledge Library

• 🌍 Multilingual support: Our just-launched multi-language interface means global teams can work in their native tongue.

• 🧠 Searchable employee profiles for every person in the company, no more digging through outdated SharePoint wikis

Q&A Time

Q: Is SharePoint Online (Microsoft 365) safe?
Safer than on-prem, but not bulletproof. It still depends on correct policies, MFA, and good admin hygiene.

Q: Can I move gradually?
Totally. Start with knowledge libraries, team chat, and announcements in a safer platform (like Pebb 👋), then decommission SharePoint bit by bit.

Q: What if I’m in a hybrid SharePoint setup?
You’re still at risk. Hybrid SharePoint inherits the weaknesses of on-prem unless you isolate it completely.

A Real-Life Wake-Up Call

One of our customers had SharePoint on-prem running for internal HR and ops. They applied Microsoft’s first patch—only to find out that machine keys had already been used to create fake sessions. Two weeks later? They were calling in forensic specialists, resetting passwords, and rewriting half their knowledge base. They’ve since moved to Pebb. No regrets.

Final Thoughts: Move to Safety Before the Next Breach

Look, I don’t say this lightly: SharePoint had a good run. But when a platform becomes a security liability, nostalgia isn’t a good enough reason to stay.

If your internal tools are making you patch late, stress out your IT team, and still expose you to global cyberattacks... it’s time to move on.

With platforms like Pebb, you can finally stop worrying about server logs, patch notes, and ghost keys—and just focus on building a connected, informed, and secure team.

Need help migrating? Curious about how Pebb compares to SharePoint? signup. Let’s get your team to a safer place.