CVE-2022-39351 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Dependency-Track, a software composition analysis platform used to identify and mitigate risks in the software supply chain. The vulnerability arises in versions prior to 4.6.0, where API requests made with valid API keys but insufficient permissions result in the full API key being logged in cleartext within the audit logs. This behavior violates secure logging practices and exposes sensitive authentication credentials to anyone with access to these logs. An attacker or insider with read access to the audit logs can extract these API keys and use them to impersonate legitimate users or services, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the Dependency-Track platform or its integrated systems. The issue was addressed in version 4.6.0 by truncating the logged API key to only the last four characters, significantly reducing the risk of credential leakage. Organizations are advised to audit historical logs for exposed keys and revoke or regenerate any potentially compromised API keys to prevent unauthorized access. This vulnerability falls under CWE-312, which concerns the cleartext storage of sensitive information, and highlights the importance of secure handling of authentication tokens in logging mechanisms. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the risk remains significant due to the sensitive nature of API keys and the potential for lateral movement within affected environments if keys are compromised.

For European organizations using Dependency-Track versions prior to 4.6.0, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized access to their software supply chain management infrastructure. Compromise of API keys could allow attackers to manipulate component analysis data, suppress or inject false vulnerability information, or disrupt the software bill of materials (SBOM) tracking, undermining the integrity and reliability of supply chain risk assessments. This could lead to the deployment of vulnerable or malicious components, increasing the risk of downstream attacks such as supply chain compromises or malware insertion. Additionally, unauthorized access could expose sensitive project metadata and internal security posture information, impacting confidentiality. The availability of the Dependency-Track service could also be affected if attackers perform disruptive actions using stolen credentials. Given the critical role of Dependency-Track in managing software supply chain security, exploitation could have cascading effects on the security posture of European enterprises, particularly those in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. The vulnerability's exploitation requires access to audit logs, which may be limited to privileged users or administrators, somewhat reducing the attack surface but elevating insider threat concerns.

1. Immediate upgrade to Dependency-Track version 4.6.0 or later to ensure that API keys are no longer logged in cleartext. 2. Conduct a thorough review of all historical audit logs to identify any instances where full API keys were exposed. 3. Revoke and regenerate all API keys that may have been logged or otherwise compromised to prevent unauthorized access. 4. Restrict access to audit logs strictly to trusted administrators and implement monitoring to detect unusual access patterns. 5. Implement role-based access controls (RBAC) and the principle of least privilege for API keys to limit the potential impact if a key is compromised. 6. Consider integrating Dependency-Track logs with centralized, secure log management solutions that support encryption at rest and in transit. 7. Educate administrators and developers on secure logging practices and the risks of exposing sensitive information in logs. 8. Regularly audit and rotate API keys as part of a comprehensive credential management policy. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on log access controls, historical log review, and credential lifecycle management specific to this vulnerability context.