CVE-2022-39310 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) affecting GoCD, a continuous delivery server used to automate and streamline build-test-release cycles. Specifically, versions of GoCD prior to 21.1.0 contain a flaw that allows an authenticated agent to impersonate another agent by exploiting broken access control and incorrect validation of agent tokens within the GoCD server. This impersonation enables the malicious agent to receive work packages intended for other agents. Work packages often include sensitive information such as credentials and environment-specific data necessary for executing jobs securely and correctly. The vulnerability arises because the server does not properly verify that the agent requesting the work package matches the intended recipient, allowing an attacker with knowledge of agent identifiers and valid authentication credentials to access information not meant for them. Exploitation requires the attacker to be authenticated as an existing agent, which implies some level of prior access or compromise. There are no known workarounds, and the issue is resolved by upgrading to GoCD version 21.1.0 or later. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the potential for sensitive information disclosure remains significant given the nature of continuous delivery pipelines and the credentials involved.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be substantial, especially for enterprises relying on GoCD for their DevOps and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) workflows. Unauthorized access to work packages could lead to disclosure of sensitive credentials, environment variables, or proprietary build information, potentially enabling further lateral movement within the network or compromise of production environments. This could result in intellectual property theft, disruption of software delivery pipelines, or introduction of malicious code into production releases. Organizations in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure may face compliance violations due to exposure of sensitive data. The requirement for attacker authentication as an agent limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, particularly if internal agents are compromised or if insider threats exist. Given the interconnected nature of supply chains and software delivery, this vulnerability could also indirectly affect partners and customers relying on compromised build pipelines.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize upgrading all GoCD servers and agents to version 21.1.0 or later, where the access control flaw is fixed. Since no workarounds exist, patching is the primary defense. Additionally, organizations should implement strict access controls and monitoring on agent authentication credentials to prevent unauthorized agent access. Regularly audit and rotate agent tokens and credentials to minimize the risk of credential compromise. Employ network segmentation to isolate build agents and servers, reducing the impact of a compromised agent. Implement logging and alerting on unusual agent activity, such as unexpected requests for work packages or agent impersonation attempts. Conduct thorough internal security reviews of CI/CD pipelines and restrict agent registration to authorized personnel only. Finally, integrate security scanning and validation steps in the pipeline to detect anomalies that could indicate exploitation attempts.