CVE-2022-23109 in HashiCorp Vault Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/12/2022
Jenkins HashiCorp Vault Plugin 3.7.0 and earlier does not mask Vault credentials in Pipeline build logs or in Pipeline step descriptions when Pipeline: Groovy Plugin 2.85 or later is installed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2022
The Jenkins HashiCorp Vault Plugin vulnerability CVE-2022-23109 represents a critical information disclosure flaw that undermines the security of credential management within continuous integration environments. This vulnerability specifically affects versions 3.7.0 and earlier of the HashiCorp Vault Plugin when used in conjunction with Pipeline: Groovy Plugin version 2.85 or later. The flaw manifests in the improper handling of sensitive authentication credentials within Jenkins pipeline execution contexts, creating a significant risk for organizations that rely on automated build processes for their software development lifecycle.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient credential masking mechanisms within the plugin's logging and display functionality. When Jenkins pipelines execute commands that interact with HashiCorp Vault, the authentication tokens, secret keys, and other sensitive credentials are exposed in plain text within the build logs and pipeline step descriptions. This occurs because the plugin fails to properly sanitize output streams that are subsequently consumed by the Pipeline: Groovy Plugin's enhanced logging capabilities. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it operates at the intersection of two widely used Jenkins components, amplifying its potential impact across numerous deployment scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-23109 extends beyond simple credential exposure, creating a pathway for lateral movement and privilege escalation within development environments. Attackers who gain access to Jenkins build logs or pipeline execution details can extract Vault credentials and potentially access sensitive systems, databases, and applications that these credentials authorize. This vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the CWE-200 standard for information exposure and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552 for unsecured credentials. Organizations using Jenkins for automated deployments face significant risk of unauthorized access to production environments, secret management systems, and enterprise resources that depend on Vault for credential orchestration.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the HashiCorp Vault Plugin to version 3.7.1 or later, which includes proper credential masking functionality. System administrators should also implement additional logging controls and access restrictions to limit exposure of build artifacts containing sensitive information. Organizations should conduct comprehensive audits of their Jenkins configurations to ensure that no sensitive credentials are inadvertently exposed through pipeline logging mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization and output masking in automated systems, as highlighted by CWE-20 and ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts. Security teams should also consider implementing automated monitoring for credential exposure in logs and build artifacts as part of their overall security posture assessment.