dbcve.org
Cobol ServerApplication · Microfocus

CVE-2023-4501

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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.

NVD · unedited
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.

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.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Authentication bypass vulnerability in OpenText Micro Focus COBOL products (Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, Enterprise Server) where LDAP-based authentication with certain configurations accepts any valid username regardless of password, and may also accept invalid usernames with any password, allowing complete impersonation of any user.

MitigationApply the upcoming patch updates for affected product versions or contact OpenText Support for product overlays and workaround instructions. Test for vulnerability by attempting login with valid username and incorrect password.

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

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.

NVD · CPE data
Cobol ServerApplication
Affected:= 7.0= 8.0= 9.0
Enterprise DeveloperApplication
Affected:= 7.0= 8.0= 9.0
Enterprise ServerApplication
Affected:= 7.0= 8.0= 9.0
Enterprise Test ServerApplication
Affected:= 7.0= 8.0= 9.0
Visual CobolApplication
Affected:= 7.0= 8.0= 9.0

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.

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

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

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.

dbcve checks

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

  1. Identify installed Micro Focus COBOL product
    Check the installed programs list or product installation directory for Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, Enterprise Server, or Enterprise Test Server. Look for product-specific directories under the Micro Focus installation path.
    Affected if Any of the listed products (Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, Enterprise Server, Enterprise Test Server) version 7.0, 8.0, or 9.0 are installed.
  2. Verify product version
    Use the product's version information tool (typically found in the product's bin directory or via the product's About/Version dialog) to confirm the exact installed version matches 7.0, 8.0, or 9.0.
    Affected if Installed version equals 7.0, 8.0, or 9.0 for any affected product.
  3. Locate LDAP authentication configuration
    Search for LDAP-related configuration files or settings in the product's configuration directory. Common paths include the product's config folder, enterprise server configuration, or mfldap configuration files. Check Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Micro Focus for LDAP settings if on Windows.
    Affected if LDAP authentication is configured for the product.
  4. Inspect LDAP bind configuration
    Examine the LDAP configuration files or settings for the bind method and authentication parameters. Look for settings related to LDAP bind, user search base, and authentication mode.
    Affected if LDAP-based authentication is enabled with configuration that allows bind operations without proper password validation.

The environment is affected if a Micro Focus COBOL product version 7.0, 8.0, or 9.0 is installed with LDAP-based authentication configured and the LDAP bind settings permit authentication with any valid username regardless of password or any password regardless of username validity.

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

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the upcoming patch updates for affected product versions or contact OpenText Support for product overlays and workaround instructions. Test for vulnerability by attempting login with valid username and incorrect password.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Apply the patch update for your product version from OpenText Support (specific patch numbers available via support portal)

  1. Contact OpenText Support to obtain the specific patch updates for your product version (7.0, 8.0, or 9.0) that address CVE-2023-4501
  2. Request the product overlays and workaround instructions referenced in the security advisory
  3. Apply the provided patch update to all affected components (Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, Enterprise Server, Enterprise Test Server)
  4. After patching, verify the fix by attempting to sign on with a valid username and an incorrect password - authentication should now correctly fail
  5. If unable to patch immediately, review the workaround instructions from OpenText Support to disable or modify the vulnerable LDAP authentication configuration
  6. Confirm that LDAP-based authentication is functioning correctly with proper username/password validation

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

Fix this in Cobol Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-4501 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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