CVE-2023-4553
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 · uneditedImproper Input Validation vulnerability in OpenText AppBuilder on Windows, Linux allows Probe System Files. AppBuilder configuration files are viewable by unauthenticated users. This issue affects AppBuilder: from 21.2 before 23.2.
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 · moderate confidenceOpenText AppBuilder contains an improper input validation vulnerability that allows unauthenticated users to access and view configuration files on Windows and Linux systems. This occurs due to insufficient validation of user input that enables path traversal or direct file access to system configuration files.
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>= 21.2, < 23.2CVSS 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
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm OpenText AppBuilder installationLocate AppBuilder installation directory or check for AppBuilder services running on the system (common paths include /opt/appbuilder or C:\Program Files\AppBuilder on Linux/Windows respectively). Use 'ps aux | grep appbuilder' on Linux or check Windows Services for 'AppBuilder' service.Affected if AppBuilder software is found installed on the system
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Check installed AppBuilder versionAccess the AppBuilder administration interface or check version files in the installation directory. The version is typically visible in the web UI footer, in a VERSION file, or via admin command 'appbuilder --version' if available.Affected if Version is >= 21.2 and < 23.2 (versions 21.2 through 22.x are vulnerable)
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Verify web interface accessibilityAttempt to access the AppBuilder web interface without authentication. Check if the configuration file access endpoints (typically /config, /configuration, or similar paths) are reachable over the network.Affected if AppBuilder web interface is accessible without login credentials
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Test for path traversal vulnerabilitySend HTTP requests to the AppBuilder web endpoints with traversal sequences such as '../../../../../../etc/passwd' or '..\..\..\windows\system32\config\sam' to see if configuration files can be retrieved.Affected if Path traversal sequences return system configuration files or sensitive data
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Check authentication enforcement on config pathsReview AppBuilder configuration files (web.xml, application.properties, or similar) to determine if authentication is required for configuration file access endpoints.Affected if Configuration endpoints do not require authentication or authentication is disabled
A system is affected if OpenText AppBuilder version 21.2 through 22.x is installed AND the web interface or configuration access paths are accessible without authentication, allowing path traversal to retrieve system files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped23.2
Upgrade AppBuilder to version 23.2 or later to receive the patch. Additionally, verify that authentication is properly enforced on all configuration file access paths and consider network-level access controls to limit exposure.
23.2 or later
- 1. Identify the current installed version of OpenText AppBuilder
- 2. Plan and schedule an upgrade window to version 23.2 or later
- 3. Create a complete backup of the current AppBuilder configuration and data
- 4. Upgrade AppBuilder to version 23.2 or the latest stable release available from OpenText
- 5. After upgrade, verify that the improper input validation is fixed by testing that system files cannot be probed and configuration files are no longer accessible to unauthenticated users
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-4553 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-4553 in production — separate from our analysis above.
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
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- 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
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