Answer in brief
CVE-2023-4501 records a Critical severity (CVSS 9.8) vulnerability in Authentication bypass in OpenText (Micro Focus) Enterprise Server. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps opentext/visual_cobal_cobal_server_enterprise_developer_enterprise_server (generic), OpenText/Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, Enterprise Server (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
Analysis pending evidence review
HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.
CVSS is 9.8. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.
Analysis status
Analysis pending evidence review
Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.
The current feed maps opentext/visual_cobal_cobal_server_enterprise_developer_enterprise_server (generic), OpenText/Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, Enterprise Server (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
| Product | Affected versions | Fixed versions |
|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:cobol_server:7.0:patch_update_19:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:cobol_server:7.0:patch_update_20:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:cobol_server:8.0:patch_update_8:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:cobol_server:8.0:patch_update_9:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:cobol_server:9.0:patch_update_1:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_developer:7.0:patch_update_19:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_developer:7.0:patch_update_20:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_developer:8.0:patch_update_8:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_developer:8.0:patch_update_9:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_developer:9.0:patch_update_1:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_server:7.0:patch_update_19:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_server:7.0:patch_update_20:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_server:8.0:patch_update_8:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_server:8.0:patch_update_9:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_server:9.0:patch_update_1:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_test_server:7.0:patch_update_19:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_test_server:7.0:patch_update_20:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_test_server:8.0:patch_update_8:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_test_server:8.0:patch_update_9:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:enterprise_test_server:9.0:patch_update_1:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:visual_cobol:7.0:patch_update_19:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:visual_cobol:7.0:patch_update_20:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:visual_cobol:8.0:patch_update_8:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:visual_cobol:8.0:patch_update_9:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| cpe:2.3:a:microfocus:visual_cobol:9.0:patch_update_1:*:*:*:*:*:* | Not reported | Not reported |
| Package | Affected range | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| opentext/visual_cobal_cobal_server_enterprise_developer_enterprise_servergeneric | >=7.0.19 <7.0.21 || >=8.0.8 <8.0.10 || >=9.0.1 <9.0.2 | 7.0.21, 8.0.10, 9.0.2 |
| OpenText/Visual COBOL, COBOL Server, Enterprise Developer, Enterprise Servergeneric | >=7.0.19 <7.0.21 || >=8.0.8 <8.0.10 || >=9.0.1 <9.0.2 | 7.0.21, 8.0.10, 9.0.2 |
Published upstream
Sep 12, 2023
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordSource modified
Aug 4, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordFirst seen by HOL
Aug 4, 2026
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.
Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.