The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-53654 affects the Jenkins Statistics Gatherer Plugin versions 2.0.3 and earlier. This plugin stores the AWS Secret Key in plaintext within the global configuration file on the Jenkins controller. Because the secret key is unencrypted, any user with access to the Jenkins controller's file system can retrieve these credentials. The AWS Secret Key is a critical credential that allows programmatic access to AWS services, and its exposure can lead to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, or manipulation of cloud resources. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-522, which relates to insufficiently protected credentials. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5 (medium severity), with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), high confidentiality impact (C:H), no integrity impact (I:N), and no availability impact (A:N). This means an attacker with some level of access to the Jenkins controller (e.g., a user with limited privileges) can exploit this vulnerability remotely without needing to trick a user. No patches or fixes are currently linked, and no known exploits are reported in the wild. The vulnerability primarily threatens the confidentiality of AWS credentials, which can lead to broader cloud infrastructure compromise if exploited.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of AWS credentials used within Jenkins environments. Organizations relying on Jenkins for continuous integration and deployment pipelines that integrate with AWS services could face unauthorized access to their cloud resources if attackers gain file system access to the Jenkins controller. This could lead to data breaches, unauthorized resource usage, or disruption of cloud services. The impact is particularly critical for industries with stringent data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government sectors within Europe. Additionally, the exposure of AWS credentials could facilitate lateral movement within cloud environments, increasing the attack surface. Given the medium severity and the requirement for some level of privilege, organizations with weak internal access controls or shared Jenkins environments are at higher risk. The lack of encryption for sensitive credentials also reflects poor security hygiene that could be exploited in targeted attacks.

European organizations should immediately audit their Jenkins environments to identify if the Statistics Gatherer Plugin version 2.0.3 or earlier is in use. Until a patch is available, restrict file system access on the Jenkins controller to only trusted administrators and implement strict access controls and monitoring. Rotate all AWS Secret Keys stored in Jenkins configurations to invalidate any potentially exposed credentials. Consider migrating to alternative plugins or methods that securely handle AWS credentials, such as using Jenkins credentials binding with encrypted secrets or environment variables. Enable Jenkins security best practices, including running Jenkins with the least privilege necessary and isolating build environments. Monitor Jenkins logs and AWS account activity for suspicious access patterns. Finally, stay updated with Jenkins security advisories for any forthcoming patches addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly.