What is CVE-2023-4501?A critical-severity flaw in Cobol Server, explained.
CVE-2023-4501 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) in Cobol Server from Microfocus, published on 12 September 2023. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 0.8%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.
Published 12 September 2023. Record last updated 19 September 2023. We keep this page's data up to date.
What is CVE-2023-4501? In plain terms.
It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.
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.
What kind of flaw is it?
- CWE-287Improper Authentication
- CWE-253Incorrect Check of Function Return Value
- CWE-305Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness
- CWE-358Improperly Implemented Security Check for Standard
How an attack on it works
Read straight from its severity rating, translated out of the shorthand.
- Where an attacker can beAnywhere on the internet
- How hard it is to pull offEasy: no special conditions
- Login needed firstNo login needed
- Does someone have to clickNo, nobody has to do anything
- What an attacker getsCan read data, change data and take it offline
Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Is CVE-2023-4501 being exploited? Not that we know of.
It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 0.8%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.
Timeline
- Published
- Record last updated
CVE-2023-4501 scores 54. Action: Plan remediation.
We keep the score of every published flaw up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, and evidence that criminals are actually using it counts most. In order:
- Evidence it is being exploitedBiggest factor
- How severe it isStrong factor
- How widely exposed it isSmaller factor
- Threat activity around itSmaller factor
85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score.
When CVE-2023-4501 matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.
See your own ranked list →Who is affected by CVE-2023-4501? 5 products.
The published record lists 5 products from 1 vendor. If you run one of these, check your version, then go to the fix below.
- Application
Cobol Server
by Microfocus
Affected versions7.0-patch_update_197.0-patch_update_208.0-patch_update_88.0-patch_update_99.0-patch_update_1 - Application
Enterprise Developer
by Microfocus
Affected versions7.0-patch_update_197.0-patch_update_208.0-patch_update_88.0-patch_update_99.0-patch_update_1 - Application
Enterprise Server
by Microfocus
Affected versions7.0-patch_update_197.0-patch_update_208.0-patch_update_88.0-patch_update_99.0-patch_update_1 - Application
Enterprise Test Server
by Microfocus
Affected versions7.0-patch_update_197.0-patch_update_208.0-patch_update_88.0-patch_update_99.0-patch_update_1 - Application
Visual Cobol
by Microfocus
Affected versions7.0-patch_update_197.0-patch_update_208.0-patch_update_88.0-patch_update_99.0-patch_update_1
How do I fix CVE-2023-4501? Four steps.
- Check whether you run itCompare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
- Apply the vendor’s fixInstall the update named in the vendor’s advisory. We’ve put the advisory first in the list.
- If you can’t patch todayFollow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
- Keep an eye on itTrack the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.
References
1 linkDoes CVE-2023-4501 affect you? We'll keep checking.
Looking flaws up one at a time doesn't scale. Tell us what you run once, and we tell you which flaws matter to you, in what order, and keep watching for new ones.
- Tell us what you runPick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
- We match it to every flawOver 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
- Ranked by real-world riskA 0 to 100 score, led by evidence criminals are using it.
- Told as soon as we knowAn alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.
Free plan, no card needed. Nothing to install.
1 new flaw affects software Acme tracks
User authentication with username and password credentials is ineffective in OpenText (Micro Focus) Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, and Ent...
- Matched to
- Cobol Server on Acme's software list
- What to do
- Plan in the vendor’s update
Sent to the alert recipients Acme chose. Also in the app and to Acme's webhook.
CVE-2023-4501 is a critical-severity flaw in Cobol Server from Microfocus, published on 12 September 2023. It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.
It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is critical. Our risk score for CVE-2023-4501 is 54 out of 100, which is Medium. Its action is "Plan remediation". Not confirmed as exploited yet, but serious or likely enough that it should not wait for a quiet month.
It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 0.8%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.
For Cobol Server from Microfocus: 7.0-patch_update_19, 7.0-patch_update_20, 8.0-patch_update_8, 8.0-patch_update_9, 9.0-patch_update_1. The record lists 5 products in all, each with its versions, under "Who is affected" on this page.
Install the update the vendor names in its advisory, linked first under "How do I fix" on this page. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.