CVE-2022-45383 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the Jenkins Support Core Plugin, specifically versions 1206.v14049fa_b_d860 and earlier. The issue stems from an incorrect permission check within the plugin that allows users who possess the Support/DownloadBundle permission to download previously created support bundles. These bundles may contain sensitive information that should be restricted to users with the higher Overall/Administer permission level. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), indicating a failure in enforcing proper access controls. Exploitation requires the attacker to have at least Support/DownloadBundle privileges, which are typically granted to users who need to download diagnostic data but are not necessarily administrators. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited remotely (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L). The impact is primarily on confidentiality, as unauthorized users can access sensitive administrative information contained in support bundles. Integrity and availability are not affected. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5, reflecting a medium severity level due to the combination of high confidentiality impact and the requirement for some privileges.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information stored within Jenkins support bundles. Jenkins is widely used in software development and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, including in critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and government agencies across Europe. Unauthorized access to support bundles could expose configuration details, credentials, or other sensitive data that attackers could leverage for further attacks or espionage. The impact is particularly significant for organizations with complex Jenkins environments where support bundles may contain extensive administrative data. While the vulnerability does not allow direct code execution or system disruption, the confidentiality breach could facilitate lateral movement or privilege escalation in targeted attacks. Given the prevalence of Jenkins in European tech sectors and the increasing reliance on automated DevOps tools, the vulnerability could affect a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, telecommunications, and public sector entities.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Immediately update the Jenkins Support Core Plugin to a version that addresses CVE-2022-45383 once available, as no patch links are currently provided but monitoring Jenkins advisories is critical. 2) Review and tighten permission assignments in Jenkins, ensuring that the Support/DownloadBundle permission is granted only to trusted users with a legitimate need, minimizing the attack surface. 3) Implement strict access controls and audit logging around support bundle creation and downloads to detect any unauthorized access attempts. 4) Consider encrypting support bundles or storing them in secure locations with additional access restrictions to limit exposure. 5) Educate Jenkins administrators and DevOps teams about the risk of improper permission configurations and the importance of least privilege principles. 6) Regularly audit Jenkins plugins and configurations for compliance with security best practices and promptly apply updates. 7) Employ network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous activities related to Jenkins servers, especially in environments with sensitive data.