CVE-2022-45382 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Jenkins Naginator Plugin, versions 1.18.1 and earlier. Jenkins is a widely used open-source automation server that facilitates continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines. The Naginator Plugin specifically enables automatic retrying of failed builds, improving build reliability. The vulnerability arises because the plugin does not properly escape the display names of source builds when these builds are retried via the Retry action. This improper escaping allows an attacker who has the ability to edit build display names to inject malicious JavaScript code that is stored and later executed in the context of users viewing the build results. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), which is a common vector for XSS attacks. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), user interaction (UI:R), scope changed (S:C), and impacts on confidentiality and integrity but not availability (C:L/I:L/A:N). Exploitation requires an attacker to have privileges to edit build display names and for a user to interact with the malicious content, such as by viewing the affected build page. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date, and no official patch links are provided in the source data. This vulnerability could be leveraged to execute arbitrary scripts in the Jenkins web interface, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further attacks within the CI/CD environment.

For European organizations relying on Jenkins for their software development pipelines, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information (confidentiality impact) and unauthorized modification of build-related data (integrity impact). Since Jenkins often integrates with source code repositories, deployment systems, and other critical infrastructure, an attacker exploiting this XSS flaw could pivot to more damaging attacks, such as injecting malicious code into builds or stealing credentials. The requirement for privileges to edit build display names limits the attack surface to insiders or compromised accounts, but the risk remains significant in environments with many users or weak access controls. The vulnerability could disrupt trust in build results and potentially delay software delivery if exploited. Given the widespread use of Jenkins in European enterprises, especially in technology, finance, and manufacturing sectors, the impact could affect business continuity and compliance with data protection regulations if sensitive data is exposed.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Immediately review and restrict permissions in Jenkins to limit who can edit build display names, ensuring only trusted users have this capability. 2) Implement strict input validation and sanitization policies for build display names, either by upgrading to a patched version of the Naginator Plugin when available or by applying custom filters to escape potentially malicious input. 3) Monitor Jenkins logs and user activities for unusual changes to build display names or unexpected user interactions that could indicate exploitation attempts. 4) Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers in the Jenkins web interface to reduce the impact of any injected scripts. 5) Educate Jenkins users about the risks of interacting with untrusted build pages and encourage reporting of suspicious behavior. 6) Consider isolating Jenkins instances or restricting access via network segmentation and VPNs to reduce exposure. 7) Stay updated with Jenkins security advisories and apply patches promptly once released. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control tightening, proactive monitoring, and layered defense tailored to the Jenkins environment.