Directory ServerApplication · Microfocus

CVE-2017-7421

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-08-21

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.3 or later.

See remediation →

68/100

Remediation priority · Elevated

Remotely reachable No privileges

Official description

NVD · unedited

Reflected and stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS, CWE-79) vulnerabilities in Directory Server (aka Enterprise Server Administration web UI) and ESMAC (aka Enterprise Server Monitor and Control) in Micro Focus Enterprise Developer and Enterprise Server 2.3 and earlier, 2.3 Update 1 before Hotfix 8, and 2.3 Update 2 before Hotfix 9 allow remote authenticated attackers to bypass protection mechanisms (CWE-693) and other security features.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Reflected and stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Micro Focus Enterprise Server's Directory Server and ESMAC web interfaces. Authenticated remote attackers can inject malicious scripts by bypassing existing protection mechanisms (CWE-693), potentially compromising other authenticated users' sessions or stealing credentials.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied hotfixes: Hotfix 8 or later for Enterprise Server 2.3 Update 1, and Hotfix 9 or later for Enterprise Server 2.3 Update 2. Earlier versions should upgrade to a supported release.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Directory ServerApplication

Affected:all versions

Enterprise DeveloperApplication

Affected:= 2.3

Enterprise ServerApplication

Affected:<= 2.3= 2.3

Enterprise Server Monitor And ControlApplication

Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges: None
User interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Identify installed Micro Focus products

Review installed software on the system for Micro Focus Directory Server, Enterprise Server, Enterprise Developer, or Enterprise Server Monitor And Control (ESMAC) components

Affected if Any of these products are installed and the version falls within affected ranges (Directory Server: all versions; Enterprise Developer: 2.3; Enterprise Server: <=2.3 or =2.3; ESMAC: all versions)
Confirm Directory Server web interface is in use

Check if the Directory Server web interface (part of Micro Focus Directory Server) is configured and accessible on the network

Affected if Directory Server is running and its web interface is exposed, making users vulnerable to reflected/stored XSS attacks
Confirm ESMAC web interface is enabled

Verify whether the Enterprise Server Monitor And Control (ESMAC) web interface is installed and enabled on the system

Affected if ESMAC is installed and its web interface is active, providing an attack vector for XSS injection
Verify authentication mechanisms for web interfaces

Examine the web interface authentication configuration to confirm user sessions are active and could be targeted

Affected if Web interfaces require authentication and users are logged in, allowing attackers to steal session credentials or compromise other users' sessions

The environment is affected if any of the affected Micro Focus products (Directory Server, Enterprise Server 2.3 or earlier, Enterprise Developer 2.3, or ESMAC) are installed with their web interfaces enabled and accessible to authenticated users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

From vendor data

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.3

Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied hotfixes: Hotfix 8 or later for Enterprise Server 2.3 Update 1, and Hotfix 9 or later for Enterprise Server 2.3 Update 2. Earlier versions should upgrade to a supported release.

Fix this in Directory Server Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation4.0 h
Implementation8.0 h
Testing6.0 h
Review / QA2.0 h

20.0 hours of engineering $3,500

Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

dbcve dependency scanner

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References

Primary sources

community.microfocus.com
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-7421 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2017-7421?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to after 2.3 or later

Severity 6.1 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 1.3%

Affects: Directory Server

Remediation

Need this fixed?

Fix this in Directory Server 20 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $3,500

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

We specialise in CVE remediation. Send your environment and we’ll scope CVE-2017-7421 and return a fixed quote.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

Check your environment

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References