CVE-2023-4501: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-gxh2-p3fj-8cc8
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-253 CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-4501 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-253: Incorrect Check of Function Return Value) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product incorrectly checks a return value from a function, which prevents it from detecting errors or exceptional conditions.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2023-4501 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-4501
GHSA Identifier GHSA-gxh2-p3fj-8cc8
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-253: Incorrect Check of Function Return Value
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2023-4501

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2023-4501, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-253: Incorrect Check of Function Return Value, where the product incorrectly checks a return value from a function, which prevents it from detecting errors or exceptional conditions. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

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.

References

NVD — CVE-2023-4501 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4501
portal.microfocus.com/s/article/km0000212... WEB
https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000021287

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-4501?
CVE-2023-4501 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-253: Incorrect Check of Function Return Value.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2023-4501?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-4501?
CVE-2023-4501 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-4501?
CVE-2023-4501 is classified under CWE-253: Incorrect Check of Function Return Value (The product incorrectly checks a return value from a function, which prevents it from detecting errors or exceptional conditions.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-4501?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-gxh2-p3fj-8cc8",
  "modified" : "2026-08-04T15:31:25Z",
  "published" : "2023-09-12T21:30:16Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-4501" ],
  "details" : "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.\n\nMitigations: 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.\n\nAdministrators 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.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4501"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000021287"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-253", "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-09-12T19:15:36Z"
  }
}