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News / Microsoft

Microsoft Exchange Online Flags Legitimate Emails as Phishing

Microsoft Exchange Online is currently experiencing an issue where legitimate emails are being incorrectly flagged as phishing and quarantined. This issue, which began around February 5, 2026, is preventing users from sending and receiving...

Microsoft: Exchange Online flags legitimate emails as phishing
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Microsoft Exchange Online Flags Legitimate Emails as Phishing Image via BleepingComputer

Key Insights

  • **False Positives:** A new anti-spam rule in Exchange Online is incorrectly identifying legitimate URLs as malicious, causing emails to be quarantined.
  • **Impact on Businesses:** Critical business communications, such as invoices and client updates, are failing to deliver, disrupting productivity.
  • **Microsoft's Response:** Microsoft is aware of the issue (tracked as incident EX1227432) and is working on releasing quarantined emails and unblocking legitimate URLs.
  • **Technical Root Cause:** The issue is due to an overly aggressive machine learning model that misclassifies legitimate domains as phishing attempts.

In-Depth Analysis

The core of the problem lies within Exchange Online's anti-spam system, which utilizes machine learning models to identify and block phishing attempts. A recent update to this system, aimed at catching zero-day threats, introduced a new URL rule that is now incorrectly flagging safe URLs as malicious. This results in legitimate emails being automatically quarantined, preventing them from reaching their intended recipients.

**How to Prepare:**

  • **Monitor Quarantine Daily:** Regularly check the Microsoft 365 Defender portal for quarantined emails.
  • **Submit False Positives:** Use the "Submit for Analysis" tool to report incorrectly flagged emails to Microsoft.
  • **Check Mail Flow Rules:** Review custom rules in the Exchange admin center to avoid conflicts.

**Who This Affects Most:**

This issue primarily affects organizations that rely on Microsoft Exchange Online for their email communications. Businesses of all sizes, particularly those that frequently exchange emails containing URLs, are experiencing disruptions.

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FAQ

- **Q: What is causing legitimate emails to be flagged as phishing in Exchange Online?

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- **Q: How can I access quarantined emails?

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- **Q: Is there a fix for this issue?

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Takeaways

  • **Proactive Monitoring is Crucial:** Even top-tier platforms like Exchange require constant monitoring to prevent disruptions.
  • **AI Security Needs Fine-Tuning:** Stronger defenses can backfire without careful calibration to avoid false positives.
  • **Stay Vigilant:** Regularly review quarantined emails and report any incorrectly flagged messages to Microsoft.

Discussion

Do you think Microsoft will resolve this issue quickly? Have you been affected by this problem? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

Share this article with others who need to stay ahead of this trend!

Sources

Disclaimer

This article was compiled by Yanuki using publicly available data and trending information. The content may summarize or reference third-party sources that have not been independently verified. While we aim to provide timely and accurate insights, the information presented may be incomplete or outdated.

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