CVE-2023-4501

CRITICAL

OpenText (Micro Focus) Visual COBOL <9.0 - Auth Bypass

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Description

User authentication with username and password credentials is ineffective in OpenText (Micro Focus) Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, and Enterprise Server (including product variants such as Enterprise Test Server), versions 7.0 patch updates 19 and 20, 8.0 patch updates 8 and 9, and 9.0 patch update 1, when LDAP-based authentication is used with certain configurations. When the vulnerability is active, authentication succeeds with any valid username, regardless of whether the password is correct; it may also succeed with an invalid username (and any password). This allows an attacker with access to the product to impersonate any user. Mitigations: The issue is corrected in the upcoming patch update for each affected product. Product overlays and workaround instructions are available through OpenText Support. The vulnerable configurations are believed to be uncommon. Administrators can test for the vulnerability in their installations by attempting to sign on to a Visual COBOL or Enterprise Server component such as ESCWA using a valid username and incorrect password.

Scores

CVSS v3 9.8
EPSS 0.0017
EPSS Percentile 38.3%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation none
Automatable yes
Technical Impact total

Details

CWE
CWE-305 CWE-253 CWE-358 CWE-287
Status published
Products (15)
microfocus/cobol_server 7.0 patch_update_19 (2 CPE variants)
microfocus/cobol_server 8.0 patch_update_8 (2 CPE variants)
microfocus/cobol_server 9.0 patch_update_1
microfocus/enterprise_developer 7.0 patch_update_19 (2 CPE variants)
microfocus/enterprise_developer 8.0 patch_update_8 (2 CPE variants)
microfocus/enterprise_developer 9.0 patch_update_1
microfocus/enterprise_server 7.0 patch_update_19 (2 CPE variants)
microfocus/enterprise_server 8.0 patch_update_8 (2 CPE variants)
microfocus/enterprise_server 9.0 patch_update_1
microfocus/enterprise_test_server 7.0 patch_update_19 (2 CPE variants)
... and 5 more
Published Sep 12, 2023
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026