MS Exchange Routing

MSEXCH-ROUTING is a service associated with Microsoft Exchange Server, primarily used for routing emails between different Exchange servers. It ensures that emails are delivered efficiently and reliably within an organization's network. This service is crucial for maintaining smooth email communication in enterprise environments.

What is MS Exchange Routing

MSEXCH-ROUTING is a critical service within the Microsoft Exchange Server ecosystem, responsible for the routing of emails between different Exchange servers. This service operates on port 691 and plays a vital role in ensuring that emails are delivered efficiently and reliably within an organization's network. By managing the flow of email traffic, MSEXCH-ROUTING helps maintain smooth and uninterrupted email communication, which is essential for business operations.

Microsoft Exchange Server, developed by Microsoft, is a widely used email server solution that provides email, calendar, and contact management services. The MSEXCH-ROUTING service is an integral part of this system, enabling the seamless transfer of emails between servers. This is particularly important in large organizations where multiple Exchange servers are deployed to handle the high volume of email traffic.

The history of Microsoft Exchange Server dates back to the mid-1990s, and it has since evolved into a robust and feature-rich email server solution. The MSEXCH-ROUTING service has been a key component in this evolution, ensuring that email routing remains efficient and reliable. Organizations rely on this service to maintain effective communication channels, which are crucial for their daily operations and overall productivity.

MS Exchange Routing runs on TCP and UDP port 691 and is official IANA port.

Security risk

If port 691 is open and the MSEXCH-ROUTING service is running, it could be a potential target for attackers looking to intercept or disrupt email communications. Unauthorized access to this port could lead to email data breaches, loss of sensitive information, and disruption of email services. It is crucial to secure this port with appropriate firewall rules and monitoring to mitigate these risks.

In our UFW tutorial you can follow instructions how you can configure UFW to close port 691. Use StackChanges to monitor if the MS Exchange Routing port is closed and stays closed. StackChanges will send an alert if port 691 is open again.