CVE-2022-45400 in JAPEX Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/15/2022
Jenkins JAPEX Plugin 1.7 and earlier does not configure its XML parser to prevent XML external entity (XXE) attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2022
The Jenkins JAPEX Plugin vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that exposes systems to XML external entity attacks through improper XML parser configuration. This vulnerability affects versions 1.7 and earlier of the JAPEX plugin, which is commonly used within Jenkins continuous integration environments for processing and analyzing Java application performance data. The flaw stems from the plugin's failure to disable external entity resolution when parsing XML input, creating an avenue for malicious actors to exploit the system through carefully crafted XML payloads.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's XML processing mechanisms where it fails to properly configure the underlying XML parser to reject external entity references. This misconfiguration allows attackers to inject malicious XML content that can trigger various attack vectors including server-side request forgery, information disclosure, and potentially remote code execution depending on the target environment. The vulnerability operates at the parser level where external entities are resolved without proper validation, enabling attackers to reference external resources or execute malicious code through the XML processing pipeline.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to Jenkins environments that utilize the JAPEX plugin for performance monitoring and analysis. Attackers can leverage this weakness to extract sensitive information from the target system, including file contents, system configurations, and potentially gain unauthorized access to underlying infrastructure. The attack surface expands when considering that Jenkins servers often have elevated privileges and may have access to sensitive data repositories, making the exploitation of this XXE vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations relying on continuous integration pipelines for critical applications.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) and represents a classic example of insufficient input validation in XML processing components. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1213 (Data from Information Repositories) and potentially T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) when exploited for remote code execution. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security posture assessment, particularly in environments where Jenkins serves as a central hub for software development and deployment activities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate upgrade to the JAPEX plugin version 1.8 or later where the XML parser configuration has been properly addressed. Security teams should also implement network-level restrictions to prevent unauthorized access to Jenkins servers and consider additional input validation measures for XML processing components. Regular security assessments of Jenkins plugins and their configurations are essential to identify similar misconfigurations that could expose the environment to similar threats. Organizations should also establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous XML processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.