CVE-2022-45401 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Jenkins Associated Files Plugin version 0.2.1 and earlier. The vulnerability arises because the plugin fails to properly escape the names of associated files when rendering them in the Jenkins web interface. This improper sanitization allows an attacker with Item/Configure permissions to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's stored data. When other users or administrators view the affected pages, the malicious script executes in their browsers within the context of the Jenkins application. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), and the CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity). The vector indicates network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requires privileges (PR:L), requires user interaction (UI:R), scope changed (S:C), and impacts confidentiality and integrity to a low degree (C:L/I:L), with no impact on availability (A:N). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches are explicitly linked, suggesting that remediation may require updating the plugin to a fixed version once available or applying manual mitigations. The vulnerability specifically requires the attacker to have Item/Configure permissions, which implies that the attacker must already have some level of authenticated access to the Jenkins instance, limiting the attack surface to insiders or compromised accounts. The stored XSS nature means the malicious payload persists in the system and can affect multiple users who access the compromised interface. This vulnerability can lead to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or further compromise of the Jenkins environment if exploited successfully.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends largely on the extent of Jenkins usage within their development and CI/CD pipelines. Jenkins is widely adopted across various industries in Europe, including finance, manufacturing, and technology sectors. Exploitation could allow attackers with limited privileges to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of Jenkins users, potentially leading to theft of credentials, session tokens, or unauthorized actions within the Jenkins environment. This could disrupt software development workflows, introduce malicious code into build processes, or expose sensitive project information. Given the medium severity and requirement for authenticated access, the risk is moderate but non-negligible, especially in organizations with large Jenkins deployments or less stringent access controls. The vulnerability could also be leveraged in targeted attacks against critical infrastructure or high-value enterprises in Europe, where Jenkins is used to automate critical software delivery pipelines. The stored XSS could facilitate lateral movement or privilege escalation within the Jenkins environment, increasing the potential damage. However, the lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for proactive mitigation.

1. Immediately review and restrict Item/Configure permissions within Jenkins to only trusted users, minimizing the number of accounts that can exploit this vulnerability. 2. Monitor Jenkins logs and audit trails for unusual configuration changes or suspicious activity indicative of exploitation attempts. 3. Upgrade the Jenkins Associated Files Plugin to the latest version once a patched release is available; if no patch exists, consider disabling the plugin temporarily if feasible. 4. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers in Jenkins to mitigate the impact of XSS by restricting the execution of unauthorized scripts. 5. Educate Jenkins administrators and users about the risks of stored XSS and the importance of validating input and sanitizing file names or metadata. 6. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules targeting XSS payloads to provide an additional layer of defense. 7. Regularly scan Jenkins instances with security tools that can detect XSS vulnerabilities and verify plugin versions for known issues. 8. Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Jenkins access to reduce the risk of compromised credentials being used to exploit this vulnerability.