Authentication bypass in OpenText (Micro Focus) Enterprise Server
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2023-4501 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | OpenText |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2023-09-12 19:15:36 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-08-04 13:17:01 UTC |
| 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. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 9.8 CRITICAL from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS: 0.006210000 probability, percentile 0.463740000 (date 2026-08-06)
Problem Types: CWE-253 | CWE-287 | CWE-305 | CWE-358 | CWE-287 CWE-287 Improper Authentication | CWE-305 CWE-305 Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness | CWE-358 CWE-358 Improperly Implemented Security Check for Standard | CWE-253 CWE-253 Incorrect Check of Function Return Value
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Primary | 9.8 | CRITICAL | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 9.8 | CRITICAL | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 9.8 | CRITICAL | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
NetworkAttack Complexity
LowPrivileges Required
NoneUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
HighIntegrity
HighAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version | Update | Edition | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | Microfocus | Cobol Server | 7.0 | patch_update_19 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Cobol Server | 7.0 | patch_update_20 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Cobol Server | 8.0 | patch_update_8 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Cobol Server | 8.0 | patch_update_9 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Cobol Server | 9.0 | patch_update_1 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Developer | 7.0 | patch_update_19 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Developer | 7.0 | patch_update_20 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Developer | 8.0 | patch_update_8 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Developer | 8.0 | patch_update_9 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Developer | 9.0 | patch_update_1 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Server | 7.0 | patch_update_19 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Server | 7.0 | patch_update_20 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Server | 8.0 | patch_update_8 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Server | 8.0 | patch_update_9 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Server | 9.0 | patch_update_1 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Test Server | 7.0 | patch_update_19 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Test Server | 7.0 | patch_update_20 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Test Server | 8.0 | patch_update_8 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Test Server | 8.0 | patch_update_9 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Enterprise Test Server | 9.0 | patch_update_1 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Visual Cobol | 7.0 | patch_update_19 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Visual Cobol | 7.0 | patch_update_20 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Visual Cobol | 8.0 | patch_update_8 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Visual Cobol | 8.0 | patch_update_9 | All | All |
| Application | Microfocus | Visual Cobol | 9.0 | patch_update_1 | All | All |
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | OpenText | Visual COBOL COBOL Server Enterprise Developer Enterprise Server | affected 7.0.19 7.0.21 patch update | Windows, Linux, AIX Solaris HP-UX |
| CNA | OpenText | Visual COBOL COBOL Server Enterprise Developer Enterprise Server | affected 8.0.8 8.0.10 patch update | Windows, Linux, AIX Solaris HP-UX |
| CNA | OpenText | Visual COBOL COBOL Server Enterprise Developer Enterprise Server | affected 9.0.1 9.0.2 patch update | Windows, Linux, AIX Solaris HP-UX |
| ADP | Opentext | Visual Cobal Cobal Server Enterprise Developer Enterprise Server | affected 7.0.19 7.0.21 custom | Not specified |
| ADP | Opentext | Visual Cobal Cobal Server Enterprise Developer Enterprise Server | affected 8.0.8 8.0.10 custom | Not specified |
| ADP | Opentext | Visual Cobal Cobal Server Enterprise Developer Enterprise Server | affected 9.0.1 9.0.2 custom | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portal | af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 | portal.microfocus.com | Vendor Advisory |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
Additional Advisory Data
| Source | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| CNA | 2023-08-08T00:00:00.000Z | Reported by customer. |
| CNA | 2023-08-22T00:00:00.000Z | Fix made available. |
| CNA | 2023-09-01T00:00:00.000Z | Security bulletin published. |
Solutions
CNA: Install 7.0 Patch Update 21, 8.0 Patch Update 10, or 9.0 Patch Update 2, or later, when available. Hotfix overlays are available now for common platforms and can be produced for other platforms; contact OpenText Support to request a hotfix overlay.
Workarounds
CNA: Contact OpenText Support for workaround details.
Exploits
CNA: OpenText has not been informed of any exploitation of this vulnerability.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.