CVE-2022-46688 is a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the Jenkins Sonar Gerrit Plugin, specifically version 377.v8f3808963dc5 and earlier. Jenkins is a widely used open-source automation server that facilitates continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). The Sonar Gerrit Plugin integrates Jenkins with Gerrit, a web-based code review system, enabling automated code quality checks and review workflows. This vulnerability allows an attacker to trick a Jenkins user into submitting a forged request that causes Jenkins to connect to Gerrit servers using attacker-specified credentials IDs. These credentials IDs are obtained through other means, potentially allowing the attacker to capture credentials stored within Jenkins. The vulnerability arises because the plugin does not adequately verify the authenticity of requests, making it susceptible to CSRF attacks. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.5 (medium severity), with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no direct impact on integrity or availability. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the published date, and no official patches have been linked in the provided data. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-352, which corresponds to CSRF issues. Since Jenkins is often used in enterprise environments for software development pipelines, exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive credentials and potentially compromise the integrity of the CI/CD process indirectly by exposing secrets used in automated workflows.

For European organizations, especially those heavily reliant on Jenkins for software development and deployment, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of stored credentials. Exposure of credentials could lead to unauthorized access to Gerrit servers, enabling attackers to manipulate code review processes or gain further footholds in the development infrastructure. This could result in intellectual property theft, insertion of malicious code, or disruption of development workflows. Organizations in sectors such as finance, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure, which often have stringent compliance requirements and rely on secure software development practices, may face regulatory and reputational damage if exploited. The medium severity rating reflects that while exploitation requires user interaction, the absence of required privileges and the network attack vector make it feasible for attackers to target developers or administrators through phishing or social engineering. The lack of known exploits suggests limited active exploitation, but the potential impact on confidentiality warrants prompt attention.

Apply any available updates or patches from the Jenkins Project or plugin maintainers as soon as they are released to address this vulnerability. Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and SameSite cookie attributes on Jenkins instances to reduce the risk of CSRF attacks. Restrict access to Jenkins instances to trusted networks and users, employing network segmentation and VPNs to limit exposure. Enable and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Jenkins users to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Regularly audit and rotate credentials stored within Jenkins, especially those used by the Sonar Gerrit Plugin. Educate Jenkins users and administrators about phishing and social engineering risks that could trigger CSRF attacks. Monitor Jenkins logs for unusual or unauthorized Gerrit connection attempts that could indicate exploitation attempts. Consider disabling or limiting the use of the Sonar Gerrit Plugin if it is not essential to the CI/CD pipeline until a patch is applied.