CVE-2022-45398 is a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the Jenkins Cluster Statistics Plugin version 0.4.6 and earlier. Jenkins is a widely used open-source automation server that facilitates continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines. The Cluster Statistics Plugin collects and displays aggregated metrics from multiple Jenkins instances to provide insights into build and cluster performance. The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to trick a Jenkins user into submitting a forged request that deletes recorded cluster statistics data. Specifically, the plugin lacks proper CSRF protection mechanisms, enabling attackers to exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web requests that execute state-changing actions without the user’s consent. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.3 reflects a medium severity level, with the attack vector being network-based (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The impact is limited to integrity loss (I:L) of the cluster statistics data, with no direct impact on confidentiality or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches are explicitly linked in the provided data, although users are advised to check for plugin updates or mitigations from the Jenkins project. This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-352, which covers CSRF issues where unauthorized commands are transmitted from a user that the web application trusts. Given Jenkins’ role in automating critical software development workflows, manipulation or deletion of cluster statistics could hinder monitoring and diagnostics but does not directly compromise build artifacts or credentials.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability primarily concerns the integrity of Jenkins cluster monitoring data. Organizations relying on Jenkins for CI/CD pipelines may lose valuable aggregated statistics that help in performance analysis, capacity planning, and troubleshooting. While this does not directly affect the confidentiality of source code or the availability of Jenkins services, the loss or manipulation of cluster statistics could delay detection of broader issues or degrade operational insight. This could indirectly increase risk by obscuring early warning signs of pipeline failures or misconfigurations. Sectors with heavy reliance on automated software delivery, such as financial services, telecommunications, and manufacturing, may find this disruption more impactful. However, since exploitation requires user interaction and only affects data integrity without privilege escalation, the overall operational risk remains moderate. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat likelihood but does not eliminate the need for remediation, especially in environments with high compliance requirements or where Jenkins is exposed to less trusted networks.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Immediately verify the version of the Jenkins Cluster Statistics Plugin in use and upgrade to the latest available version where CSRF protections are implemented. If no patch is available, consider disabling or uninstalling the plugin until a fix is released. 2) Implement strict network segmentation and access controls to limit Jenkins UI access to trusted users and internal networks only, reducing exposure to CSRF attack vectors. 3) Enforce the use of security headers such as SameSite cookies and Content Security Policy (CSP) to reduce the risk of CSRF and cross-origin attacks. 4) Educate Jenkins users about the risks of clicking on unsolicited links or visiting untrusted websites while authenticated to Jenkins, as user interaction is required for exploitation. 5) Monitor Jenkins logs for unusual deletion requests or unexpected changes in cluster statistics data, enabling early detection of potential exploitation attempts. 6) Review and harden Jenkins global security settings, including enabling CSRF protection features provided by Jenkins core and plugins. 7) Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Jenkins access to reduce the risk of session hijacking that could facilitate CSRF attacks.