CVE-2023-4501 Authentication bypass in OpenText (Micro Focus) Enterprise Server
Attackers can bypass authentication in OpenText Enterprise Server when using specific LDAP configurations, allowing them to impersonate any user.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2023-4501?
CVE-2023-4501 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in OpenText Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, Enterprise Server, published on 12 Sep 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
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.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-4501?
It affects 5 products.
Products include Microfocus Cobol Server, Microfocus Enterprise Developer, Microfocus Enterprise Server, Microfocus Enterprise Test Server, Microfocus Visual Cobol.
How do I fix CVE-2023-4501?
No fix has been published for CVE-2023-4501 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and rotate credentials and sessions that may have been exposed. More about Authentication bypass.
Is CVE-2023-4501 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-4501 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in OpenText Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, Enterprise Server
Sources
Also known as GHSA-gxh2-p3fj-8cc8.