/mailboxes

name: "cipp-mailboxes"
description: "The four Exchange Online mailbox operations CIPP exposes — mailbox inventory, delegate/full-access permission audit, out-of-office, and email forwarding — plus the BEC-remediation, offboarding, and leave-coverage sequences built from them."
when_to_use: >-
  When listing mailboxes, checking mailbox delegate/full-access permissions, configuring
  out-of-office, or setting email forwarding for a tenant. Use when: cipp mailbox, mailbox
  permissions, out of office, auto reply, email forwarding, mail forwarding, shared mailbox,
  mailbox delegate, or full access mailbox.

CIPP Mailboxes

Exchange Online mailbox operations through CIPP. The four supported tools cover the highest-frequency MSP mailbox tasks: listing mailboxes for inventory, auditing permissions during BEC investigations, setting OOO for leave/offboarding, and configuring forwarding for transition periods.

Anti-triggers

• **The BEC investigation report itself** — `cipp_bec_check` is in

`cipp-users`. This skill covers the mailbox layer of the remediation that follows it.

• **A whole offboard** — `cipp_offboard_user` in `cipp-users` sets OOO,

forwarding, and shared-mailbox conversion in one call; reach for the individual tools here only when you need step-by-step control.

• **Inbox rules, transport rules, mail flow, or quarantine** — none are

in CIPP's MCP surface. Use the `m365` plugin (`Microsoft 365 Mailboxes`) or Exchange Online PowerShell.

• **Who signed in to or accessed a mailbox** — that is unified audit

log territory; use `cipp-alerts`.

Tools

`cipp_list_mailboxes`

cipp_list_mailboxes(tenantFilter='contoso.onmicrosoft.com')

Returns all mailboxes (User, Shared, Resource, Equipment, Room) with `userPrincipalName`, `recipientTypeDetails`, `archiveStatus`, `litigationHoldEnabled`, and storage usage. Use as the entry point for any mailbox audit.

`cipp_list_mailbox_permissions`

cipp_list_mailbox_permissions(tenantFilter, userPrincipalName='user@contoso.com')

Lists all delegates and full-access trustees on a mailbox. **Critical during BEC investigations** — attackers commonly grant themselves Full Access or add a forwarding rule. Always run this on a compromised mailbox before remediation.

`cipp_set_out_of_office`

cipp_set_out_of_office(tenantFilter, userPrincipalName,
                       enabled=true|false,
                       internalMessage?, externalMessage?,
                       startTime?, endTime?)

Use during offboarding (permanent), planned leave (scheduled), or as a tactical control after disabling an account so external senders get a clear bounce-equivalent.

`cipp_set_email_forwarding`

cipp_set_email_forwarding(tenantFilter, userPrincipalName,
                          forwardingAddress?,
                          deliverToBoth=true|false,
                          disable=true|false)

Set `disable=true` to remove existing forwarding — this is the **first action** during BEC remediation. Set `forwardingAddress` to redirect a leaver's mail to their manager during transition.

Workflow patterns

BEC investigation — mailbox layer

1. `cipp_list_mailbox_permissions` — capture current delegates before changes 2. Check the BEC report from `cipp_bec_check` for forwarding rules and inbox rules 3. `cipp_set_email_forwarding(disable=true)` — remove any forwarding the attacker added 4. (Outside CIPP scope: review and remove malicious inbox rules via Graph or PowerShell) 5. Document the original delegate list — restore legitimate ones after cleanup

Offboarding — mailbox handling

If `cipp_offboard_user` is run with `convertToShared=true`, CIPP handles the mailbox conversion internally. For manual control:

1. `cipp_set_out_of_office(enabled=true)` with a clear "no longer with the company" message 2. `cipp_set_email_forwarding(forwardingAddress=manager@contoso.com, deliverToBoth=true)` to keep a paper trail while routing to the manager

Planned leave coverage

cipp_set_out_of_office(tenantFilter, userPrincipalName, enabled=true,
                       internalMessage='Out until 2026-05-15. Contact teamlead@.',
                       externalMessage='I am out of office. Please contact our team at...',
                       startTime='2026-05-01T00:00:00Z',
                       endTime='2026-05-15T00:00:00Z')

Scheduled OOO with start/end times is preferred over `enabled=true` without dates — it auto-disables on return.

Caveats

• These tools are scoped to the mailbox-level operations CIPP exposes. Transport rules, mail flow, quarantine, and per-tenant Exchange settings require either CIPP UI workflows or direct Exchange Online PowerShell.
• `cipp_set_email_forwarding(disable=true)` removes all forwarding — including legitimate ones. Capture state first.