Is CVE-2023-4501 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2023-4501 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2023-4501 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2023-4501 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-4501?

CVE-2023-4501 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

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CRITICAL

CVE-2023-4501

CWE-253Published: September 12, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

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.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-4501 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.