CVE-2025-53650 is a vulnerability identified in the Jenkins Credentials Binding Plugin, specifically versions 687.v619cb_15e923f and earlier. This plugin is widely used within Jenkins automation servers to securely bind credentials to build jobs, allowing sensitive information such as passwords, tokens, or keys to be injected into build environments without exposing them in plaintext. The vulnerability arises because the plugin fails to properly mask credentials in exception error messages that are logged during build execution. Instead of replacing sensitive credential data with asterisks or other obfuscation, the plugin writes the actual credentials in cleartext to the build logs. This leakage can occur when an error or exception is thrown during the build process, causing sensitive information to be exposed in logs accessible to users with build log access. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.3 (high severity) reflects that this vulnerability can be exploited remotely (network vector), requires no privileges or user interaction, and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a limited extent. The scope is unchanged, meaning the vulnerability affects only the Jenkins environment where the plugin is installed. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the nature of the vulnerability makes it a significant risk for credential exposure, which can lead to unauthorized access to systems or services integrated with Jenkins. Since Jenkins is a critical CI/CD tool used globally, this vulnerability can have widespread implications if not addressed promptly.

For European organizations, the exposure of credentials in Jenkins build logs can lead to severe security breaches. Credentials leaked in logs can be harvested by malicious insiders or attackers who gain access to Jenkins or its logs, enabling lateral movement within the network, unauthorized access to cloud services, repositories, or production environments. This can result in data breaches, service disruptions, or supply chain compromises. Given the extensive adoption of Jenkins in European enterprises across sectors such as finance, manufacturing, telecommunications, and government, the risk is amplified. Organizations relying on automated pipelines for critical software delivery may face operational downtime or integrity issues if attackers misuse leaked credentials. Furthermore, compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations requires safeguarding sensitive information, and credential leakage could lead to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. The vulnerability’s ease of exploitation (no authentication or user interaction required) increases the urgency for European organizations to remediate promptly to prevent potential exploitation.

European organizations should take immediate and specific actions beyond generic patching advice: 1) Upgrade the Jenkins Credentials Binding Plugin to the latest fixed version as soon as it becomes available from the Jenkins project to ensure proper credential masking. 2) Audit existing Jenkins build logs for any exposure of credentials and rotate any potentially leaked secrets immediately to prevent misuse. 3) Restrict access to Jenkins build logs strictly to trusted personnel and enforce least privilege principles to minimize insider threat risks. 4) Implement monitoring and alerting on Jenkins logs and build failures to detect anomalous access or error patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. 5) Use credential vaulting and secret management tools integrated with Jenkins that provide additional layers of encryption and access control. 6) Review and harden Jenkins server security configurations, including network segmentation and multi-factor authentication for Jenkins access. 7) Conduct security awareness training for DevOps teams on secure handling of credentials and the importance of timely plugin updates.