CVE-2022-23630 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Gradle versions from 6.2 up to, but not including, 7.4. Gradle is a widely used build automation tool that supports multi-language development and dependency management. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of dependency verification when multiple configurations are involved in a build. Specifically, if dependency verification is disabled on one or more configurations, and those configurations share common dependencies with configurations that have dependency verification enabled, Gradle may skip verification of these shared dependencies. This occurs when the configuration with verification disabled is resolved before the one with verification enabled. As a result, untrusted or malicious external artifacts could be accepted without proper validation, potentially introducing malicious code or compromised dependencies into the build process. Gradle 7.4 addresses this issue by ensuring that artifacts present in any resolved configuration with dependency verification enabled are validated at least once, regardless of the order in which configurations are resolved. Users unable to upgrade are advised not to disable dependency verification via the ResolutionStrategy.disableDependencyVerification() method or to avoid plugins that do so. Alternatively, they should ensure that configurations with disabled verification are not resolved in builds that also resolve configurations with verification enabled. This vulnerability falls under CWE-829, which concerns the inclusion of functionality from an untrusted control sphere, highlighting the risk of trusting unverified external inputs during software builds. No known exploits have been reported in the wild to date, but the risk remains significant due to the potential for supply chain compromise through malicious dependencies.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be substantial, especially for those relying heavily on Gradle for their software development and build automation processes. The primary risk is the inadvertent inclusion of malicious or compromised dependencies into software artifacts, which can lead to downstream security issues such as code execution, data leakage, or integrity violations. This is particularly critical for organizations in sectors with stringent security requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, where software integrity is paramount. Additionally, organizations that develop software distributed to customers or partners may unintentionally propagate compromised code, damaging reputation and trust. The vulnerability also poses a supply chain risk, as attackers could target open-source or internal dependencies to inject malicious code. Given the widespread use of Gradle in European software development environments, the vulnerability could affect a broad range of organizations, from startups to large enterprises. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits targeting this flaw. The complexity of dependency configurations in large projects increases the likelihood of misconfiguration, thereby raising the risk of exploitation.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize upgrading to Gradle version 7.4 or later, where the issue is resolved by enforcing artifact validation across all configurations with dependency verification enabled. For organizations unable to upgrade promptly, it is critical to audit build scripts and plugins to ensure that the ResolutionStrategy.disableDependencyVerification() method is not used, as this disables critical verification checks. If such disabling is necessary, organizations must segregate builds so that configurations with disabled verification are not resolved alongside those with verification enabled, preventing unverified artifacts from bypassing checks. Additionally, organizations should implement strict dependency management policies, including the use of dependency locking and checksum verification outside of Gradle’s native mechanisms to add layers of validation. Employing software composition analysis (SCA) tools can help detect and alert on unverified or suspicious dependencies. Regularly reviewing and updating build configurations and dependencies reduces the risk of inadvertently accepting untrusted artifacts. Finally, integrating continuous monitoring and alerting for build anomalies and dependency changes can provide early detection of potential exploitation attempts.