CVE-2022-28153 in SiteMonitor Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/29/2022
Jenkins SiteMonitor Plugin 0.6 and earlier does not escape URLs of sites to monitor in tooltips, resulting in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exploitable by attackers with Item/Configure permission.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-28153 affects the Jenkins SiteMonitor Plugin version 0.6 and earlier, presenting a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that can be exploited by attackers possessing Item/Configure permissions. This issue resides within the plugin's handling of URL data in tooltip contexts, where proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms are absent. The vulnerability specifically manifests when administrators or users with sufficient privileges configure monitoring sites, as the plugin fails to properly escape URL characters before rendering them in tooltip elements that are subsequently displayed to other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied URL data within the SiteMonitor plugin's user interface components. When monitoring sites are configured, the plugin stores these URLs in a manner that does not properly encode special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This stored data is then rendered in tooltips without appropriate escaping mechanisms, creating a classic stored XSS attack vector. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only Item/Configure permissions, which are often granted to users who need to modify job configurations or plugin settings, making the attack surface broader than initially apparent.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution within the browser context. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute malicious scripts against authenticated users who view the affected tooltips, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions within the Jenkins environment. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, the malicious payload persists and can affect any user who accesses the affected interface elements. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where Jenkins serves as a central automation platform, as it could provide attackers with persistent access to build systems and potentially sensitive infrastructure components. The vulnerability also aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should prevent such issues through proper input validation and output encoding.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-28153 should prioritize immediate plugin version updates to 0.7 or later, which contain the necessary fixes for URL escaping in tooltip contexts. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including restricting Item/Configure permissions to only trusted users, implementing content security policies to limit script execution, and conducting regular security audits of Jenkins plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The fix implemented in the updated plugin version demonstrates proper output encoding practices that prevent the injection of malicious code into tooltip elements. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls or additional monitoring solutions that can detect and block suspicious script execution patterns within Jenkins environments. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and the necessity of thorough input validation across all user-facing interfaces within automation platforms. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 which covers phishing techniques, as attackers could use the XSS flaw to craft malicious tooltips that appear legitimate to users, potentially leading to further compromise of the Jenkins infrastructure.