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Documentum Content Server CVE-2023-31871

HIGH
Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource (CWE-732)
2023-05-18 cve@mitre.org
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration Permission assignment review
Impact

CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). Attack characteristics: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction not required. Public proof-of-concept exploit code is available.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A local attacker with access to the system could access resources due to misconfigured permissions.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAI

OpenText Documentum Content Server before 23.2 has a flaw that allows for privilege escalation from a non-privileged Documentum user to root. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is low attack complexity. Public exploit code available and no vendor patch available.

RemediationAI

No vendor patch is available at time of analysis. Monitor vendor advisories for updates. Review and restrict file/resource permissions, apply principle of least privilege.

Affects your stack

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Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

This vulnerability is classified as Incorrect Permission Assignment (CWE-732), which allows attackers to access resources due to misconfigured permissions. OpenText Documentum Content Server before 23.2 has a flaw that allows for privilege escalation from a non-privileged Documentum user to root. The software comes prepackaged with a root owned SUID binary dm_secure_writer. The binary has security controls in place preventing creation of a file in a non-owned directory, or as the root user. However, these controls can be carefully bypassed to allow for an arbitrary file write as root. Affected products include: Opentext Documentum Content Server. Version information: before 23.2.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionNVD

OpenText Documentum Content Server before 23.2 has a flaw that allows for privilege escalation from a non-privileged Documentum user to root. The software comes prepackaged with a root owned SUID binary dm_secure_writer. The binary has security controls in place preventing creation of a file in a non-owned directory, or as the root user. However, these controls can be carefully bypassed to allow for an arbitrary file write as root.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 80% exploitable
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Data Quality
3 sources
Confidence: Low

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium

Priority Score

59
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: +20
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.

Affected Products (CPE)NVD

cpe:2.3:a:opentext:documentum_content_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
CVE-2017-15012 HIGH POC
8.8 Oct 13

OpenText Documentum Content Server (formerly EMC Documentum Content Server) through 7.3 does not properly validate the i

CVE-2017-15013 HIGH POC
8.8 Oct 13

OpenText Documentum Content Server (formerly EMC Documentum Content Server) through 7.3 contains the following design ga

CVE-2017-15276 HIGH POC
8.8 Oct 13

OpenText Documentum Content Server (formerly EMC Documentum Content Server) through 7.3 contains the following design ga

CVE-2017-7221 HIGH POC
8.8 Apr 25

OpenText Documentum Content Server has an inadequate protection mechanism against SQL injection, which allows remote aut

CVE-2017-5585 HIGH POC
8.8 Feb 22

OpenText Documentum Content Server (formerly EMC Documentum Content Server) 7.3, when PostgreSQL Database is used and re

CVE-2017-7220 HIGH POC
8.8 Apr 21

OpenText Documentum Content Server allows superuser access via sys_obj_save or save of a crafted object, followed by an

CVE-2015-4533 CRITICAL
9.0 Aug 20

EMC Documentum Content Server before 6.7SP1 P32, 6.7SP2 before P25, 7.0 before P19, 7.1 before P16, and 7.2 before P02 d

CVE-2015-4534 CRITICAL
9.0 Aug 20

Java Method Server (JMS) in EMC Documentum Content Server before 6.7SP1 P32, 6.7SP2 before P25, 7.0 before P19, 7.1 befo

CVE-2015-4532 CRITICAL
9.0 Aug 20

EMC Documentum Content Server before 6.7SP1 P32, 6.7SP2 before P25, 7.0 before P19, 7.1 before P16, and 7.2 before P02 d

CVE-2014-4626 CRITICAL
9.0 Dec 17

EMC Documentum Content Server before 6.7 SP1 P29, 6.7 SP2 before P18, 7.0 before P16, and 7.1 before P09 allows remote a

CVE-2017-15014 MEDIUM POC
4.3 Oct 13

OpenText Documentum Content Server (formerly EMC Documentum Content Server) through 7.3 contains the following design ga

CVE-2014-4629 CRITICAL
9.0 Dec 06

EMC Documentum Content Server 7.0, 7.1 before 7.1 P10, and 6.7 before SP2 P19 allows remote authenticated users to read

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