EdirectoryApplication · Microfocus

CVE-2021-22532

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-09-12

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.2.4.0000 or later.

See remediation →

84/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

Possible NLDAP Denial of Service attack Vulnerability in eDirectory has been discovered in OpenText™ eDirectory before 9.2.4.0000.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

A Denial of Service vulnerability exists in OpenText eDirectory's NLDAP component affecting versions prior to 9.2.4.0000. The flaw allows remote attackers to potentially cause service disruption through malformed NLDAP requests. The CVSS 7.5 score indicates high severity with network-exploitable DoS potential.

MitigationUpgrade OpenText eDirectory to version 9.2.4.0000 or later to resolve the NLDAP DoS vulnerability.

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

EdirectoryApplication

Affected:< 9.2.4.0000

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges: None
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: None
Availability: High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

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

Verify eDirectory is installed

Check for eDirectory processes running (ndsd or nldap) or look for eDirectory installation directories (typically /opt/novell/eDirectory or C:\Novell\eDirectory on Windows)

Affected if eDirectory is not found on the system, then this CVE does not apply
Determine installed eDirectory version

Run the version command for your platform: On Linux/Unix, use 'ndstrace -v' or check /etc/opt/novell/eDirectory/conf/nds.conf. On Windows, check the installed programs list or the ndsd.exe file properties

Affected if The installed version number cannot be determined or is lower than 9.2.4.0000
Compare version against vulnerable range

If version is obtained, verify it is less than 9.2.4.0000 (for example, 9.2.3, 9.1.x, or earlier)

Affected if Installed version starts with a number less than 9.2.4 (such as 9.2.3.x, 9.1.x, 9.0.x) or the version string indicates a pre-9.2.4 release
Confirm NLDAP component is enabled

Check eDirectory configuration for NLDAP module: Look for LDAP or NLDAP settings in the eDirectory admin tools (iConsole or iManager) or inspect the nds.conf file for 'nldap' or 'ldap' entries

Affected if NLDAP is actively enabled and listening for LDAP connections, exposing the vulnerable component to network requests

You are affected if Microfocus eDirectory is installed with a version lower than 9.2.4.0000 and the NLDAP component is enabled and accessible on the network.

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 9.2.4.0000 or later

Fixed in 9.2.4.0000

Interim mitigation

Upgrade OpenText eDirectory to version 9.2.4.0000 or later to resolve the NLDAP DoS vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

eDirectory 9.2.4.0000

Backup the current eDirectory installation and configuration before proceeding with the upgrade
Download eDirectory version 9.2.4.0000 or later from the official OpenText (formerly NetIQ) download portal
Review the eDirectory upgrade documentation for version 9.2.4
Stop all eDirectory services on the server
Run the eDirectory installer/upgrade for version 9.2.4.0000
Follow the prompts to complete the upgrade process
Restart eDirectory services after the upgrade completes
Verify the NLDAP service is running properly and the server is responding to requests

Caveat Standard eDirectory upgrade precautions apply - ensure backups are verified and test in non-production environment first

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Edirectory Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation2.0 h
Implementation4.0 h
Testing3.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

10.0 hours of engineering $1,750

Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-22532 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

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References

Primary sources

www.netiq.comVendor Advisory
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-22532 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2021-22532?

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 9.2.4.0000 or later

Severity 7.5 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.4%

Affects: Edirectory

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Edirectory 10 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $1,750

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2021-22532 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

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