CVE-2012-4441 in Jenkins
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) in Jenkins main before 1.482 and LTS before 1.466.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML in the CI game plugin.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4441 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Jenkins continuous integration server versions prior to 1.482 and LTS versions before 1.466.2. This vulnerability specifically impacts the CI game plugin, which is designed to provide gamification features within the Jenkins environment to enhance developer engagement and productivity. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the Jenkins interface, potentially compromising the security of the entire continuous integration infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the CI game plugin's handling of user-supplied data. When users interact with the gamification features, the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape input parameters before rendering them in web pages. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute within the context of other users' browsers when they view affected pages. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication or privileged access to exploit, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can interact with the Jenkins instance.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, creating significant risks for organizations relying on Jenkins for their continuous integration and deployment processes. When exploited, the XSS attack could enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, access sensitive build information, or even redirect users to malicious websites. The CI game plugin typically displays user rankings, achievements, and other gamification elements that could be manipulated to include malicious scripts. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the Jenkins environment and could potentially allow attackers to escalate privileges or access other parts of the system where Jenkins is integrated. The attack could lead to data exfiltration, unauthorized build execution, or complete compromise of the CI/CD pipeline.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Jenkins versions 1.482 or later for the main branch and 1.466.2 or later for the LTS branch to remediate this vulnerability. The upgrade process should include thorough testing of all plugins to ensure compatibility and prevent service disruption. Additionally, administrators should implement web application firewalls and content security policies to provide defense-in-depth measures. Regular security assessments of Jenkins plugins and configurations should be conducted to identify other potential vulnerabilities. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which focuses on phishing and social engineering attacks that often leverage XSS vulnerabilities to establish initial access or persistence within target environments. Organizations should also review their Jenkins security configurations and consider implementing additional access controls and monitoring to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.