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Application Automation ToolsApplication · Microfocus

CVE-2024-4690

HIGH · 8.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 24.1.0 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable

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
Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference vulnerability in OpenText Application Automation Tools allows DTD Injection.This issue affects OpenText Application Automation Tools: 24.1.0 and below.

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 confidence

This is an XML External Entity (XXE) injection vulnerability in OpenText Application Automation Tools. The application fails to properly restrict XML external entity references, allowing attackers to inject malicious DTD (Document Type Definition) content through XML input. This can enable disclosure of internal files, server-side request forgery (SSRF), or denial of service by exploiting the XML parser's processing of external entity definitions.

MitigationApply vendor patch for OpenText Application Automation Tools 24.1.0 when available; until then, disable external entity resolution in XML parsers, implement input validation for XML content, and disable DTD processing in XML configurations.

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
Application Automation ToolsApplication
Affected:<= 24.1.0

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
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/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 if Microfocus/OpenText Application Automation Tools is installed
    Locate the application installation directory, typically found under /opt/hp or C:\Program Files\Micro Focus or C:\Program Files\OpenText. Check for executables named ApplicationAutomationTools, ApplicationAutomation, or similar. On Linux, use 'find /opt -name '*Application*Automation*' 2>/dev/null' or 'ls -la /opt | grep -i automation'. On Windows, check Program Files directories or use Get-ChildItem in PowerShell.
    Affected if The application is present on the system
  2. Determine the installed version number
    Look for a version file in the installation directory, commonly named 'version', 'version.txt', 'build.info', or found in a 'config' subdirectory. On Linux, run 'cat <installation_path>/version' or 'cat <installation_path>/config/version'. On Windows, check properties of the main executable or look in README files. Compare this version against the affected range <= 24.1.0.
    Affected if The installed version is 24.1.0 or lower
  3. Check if XML processing is actively used in the application
    Examine the application's configuration files for XML-related settings. Look for XML parser configuration in files like 'app.properties', 'application.properties', 'config.xml', or custom XML configuration files in the config directory. Search for keywords like 'xml', 'parser', 'dtd', 'entity' in configuration files.
    Affected if XML processing is enabled, which is typical for this automation tools application that handles XML-based test scenarios or configurations
  4. Identify XML parser configuration settings
    Review XML parser configuration in the application's config directory. Check for settings related to external entity resolution, DTD processing, or XML validation. Look in configuration files for parameters controlling entity expansion or external reference handling.
    Affected if External entity resolution or DTD processing is not explicitly disabled in the XML parser configuration

The environment is affected if Microfocus/OpenText Application Automation Tools is installed with version 24.1.0 or lower and XML processing features are enabled, which are default behaviors for this application.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 24.1.0
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor patch for OpenText Application Automation Tools 24.1.0 when available; until then, disable external entity resolution in XML parsers, implement input validation for XML content, and disable DTD processing in XML configurations.

Fix this in Application Automation Tools Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
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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-2024-4690 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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