CVE-2025-68698 identifies a cryptographic vulnerability in the Jervis library, a tool integrated with Jenkins for managing Job DSL plugin scripts and shared pipeline libraries. The vulnerability stems from the use of PKCS1Encoding for RSA encryption padding, which is susceptible to Bleichenbacher padding oracle attacks. These attacks exploit the way the system handles padding errors during RSA decryption, enabling an attacker to decrypt ciphertexts without access to the private key. This compromises the confidentiality of sensitive data encrypted using the vulnerable scheme. The vulnerability affects all versions of Jervis prior to 2.2, where the library uses this outdated and insecure padding method. The fix introduced in version 2.2 replaces PKCS1Encoding with OAEP (Optimal Asymmetric Encryption Padding), which mitigates the padding oracle attack vector by incorporating randomness and a more secure padding mechanism. The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.7 reflects the vulnerability's high impact, with network attack vector, no required privileges or user interaction, and high confidentiality impact. Although no exploits have been reported in the wild, the vulnerability's nature makes it a critical concern for continuous integration and delivery environments that rely on Jervis for secure pipeline operations. Attackers could potentially decrypt sensitive credentials, tokens, or configuration data used within Jenkins pipelines, leading to broader compromise of build and deployment infrastructure.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-68698 is significant, especially those heavily reliant on Jenkins for CI/CD workflows. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized decryption of sensitive pipeline secrets such as API keys, credentials, or proprietary code artifacts, undermining confidentiality and potentially enabling further lateral movement or supply chain attacks. This risk is amplified in sectors with stringent data protection requirements, including finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. The compromise of build pipelines can disrupt software delivery, cause reputational damage, and lead to regulatory non-compliance under GDPR if personal or sensitive data is exposed. Given Jenkins' widespread adoption in Europe, organizations using Jervis versions prior to 2.2 face a tangible threat vector that could be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction. The absence of known exploits in the wild does not diminish the urgency, as the vulnerability is well-documented and can be targeted by sophisticated threat actors aiming to infiltrate development environments.

European organizations should immediately upgrade Jervis to version 2.2 or later to eliminate the use of vulnerable PKCS1Encoding padding. In addition to patching, organizations should audit all Jenkins pipeline scripts and Job DSL plugins to identify any custom cryptographic implementations that might still use insecure padding schemes. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on Jenkins instances to detect anomalous activities indicative of exploitation attempts. Employ network segmentation to isolate CI/CD infrastructure from sensitive production environments. Consider integrating hardware security modules (HSMs) or dedicated key management services to handle cryptographic operations securely, reducing reliance on software-based encryption vulnerable to padding oracle attacks. Regularly review and update cryptographic libraries and dependencies to ensure compliance with current security standards. Finally, conduct security awareness training for DevOps teams to recognize the importance of cryptographic hygiene and timely patch management within CI/CD pipelines.