CVE-2024-47803 in Jenkins
Summary
by MITRE • 10/02/2024
Jenkins 2.478 and earlier, LTS 2.462.2 and earlier does not redact multi-line secret values in error messages generated for form submissions involving the `secretTextarea` form field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/13/2024
This vulnerability exists in Jenkins versions prior to 2.478 and LTS 2.462.2 where the system fails to properly sanitize secret values in error messages generated during form submissions. The flaw specifically affects the `secretTextarea` form field type which is commonly used to capture sensitive information such as API keys, passwords, or encryption secrets. When form validation fails or other processing errors occur, Jenkins outputs error messages that contain the raw, unredacted secret values from these fields, creating a significant information disclosure risk. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multi-line secret values, meaning that complex secret structures including certificates, private keys, or multi-line configuration data could be exposed in error logs or user-facing error messages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within Jenkins form handling mechanisms. When processing form submissions containing `secretTextarea` fields, the system does not properly filter or redact sensitive data before incorporating it into error messages. This represents a direct violation of security best practices for handling sensitive information and aligns with CWE-209, which addresses the improper handling of exceptions that could leak sensitive information. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and affects the integrity of the security model by potentially exposing secrets that should remain confidential during error conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it creates a potential attack vector for adversaries seeking to compromise Jenkins environments. Attackers could exploit this weakness by submitting malformed forms or triggering validation errors to capture secret values from error messages. This exposure could lead to unauthorized access to systems, data breaches, or privilege escalation attacks depending on the nature of the exposed secrets. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Jenkins serves as a central automation platform managing critical infrastructure components. The exposure of secrets through error messages could provide attackers with access tokens, database credentials, or other sensitive information that could be used to compromise the entire automation pipeline or underlying systems.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Jenkins version 2.478 or LTS 2.462.3 to address this vulnerability. In the interim, administrators should implement additional monitoring to detect and alert on error messages containing potential secret values, though this represents a reactive rather than proactive solution. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive log review procedures to identify and remediate any exposed secrets that may have already occurred. Security teams should also consider implementing application-level firewalls or log filtering mechanisms to prevent secret exposure in error messages. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following the principle of least privilege and proper input sanitization as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security principles, specifically addressing the risk of information leakage through error handling mechanisms. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a credential access technique under T1552, where adversaries collect credentials from information systems, and represents a critical weakness in the software supply chain security posture of Jenkins installations.