CVE-2023-4554
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 Restriction of XML External Entity Reference vulnerability in OpenText AppBuilder on Windows, Linux allows Server Side Request Forgery, Probe System Files. AppBuilder's XML processor is vulnerable to XML External Entity Processing (XXE), allowing an authenticated user to upload specially crafted XML files to induce server-side request forgery, disclose files local to the server that processes them. 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 · high confidenceOpenText AppBuilder contains an XXE vulnerability in its XML processor. An authenticated user can upload malicious XML files containing external entity references to induce server-side request forgery (SSRF) or read sensitive local files from the server filesystem.
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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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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Identify AppBuilder versionLocate the installed OpenText AppBuilder version through the product's admin interface, about page, or version log file. This is typically found in the system information section or installation directory metadata.Affected if The installed version is 21.2 or higher but lower than 23.2
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Confirm XML processor is activeVerify that the AppBuilder XML processor feature is enabled and accessible. This is typically configured in the application settings or as part of the data import/export functionality where XML files can be uploaded.Affected if XML file upload or parsing functionality is available and enabled in the environment
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Verify user authentication is configuredCheck whether AppBuilder user authentication is enabled. The XXE vulnerability requires an authenticated user to upload malicious XML files.Affected if User authentication is enabled and users can log in to the application
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Assess network exposure of XML upload endpointDetermine if the XML upload endpoint is accessible over the network. Check access controls and whether the application is exposed to internal or external users who could authenticate and exploit the XXE flaw.Affected if Authenticated users can access the XML upload functionality from the network
You are affected if your AppBuilder version is 21.2 or newer but earlier than 23.2, the XML upload feature is enabled, and authenticated users can access it.
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. As a compensating control, disable external entity resolution in the XML parser configuration if immediate upgrading is not feasible.
23.2 or later
- Identify all OpenText AppBuilder installations with versions >= 21.2 and < 23.2
- Review OpenText support.opentext.com for the 23.2 release notes and specific upgrade instructions
- Plan the upgrade during a scheduled maintenance window
- Back up the current AppBuilder configuration and any relevant data
- Upgrade AppBuilder to version 23.2 or later
- After upgrade, verify the XXE vulnerability is remediated by testing XML file upload with crafted external entity references
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-4554 — 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-2023-4554 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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