The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-68703 affects the samrocketman jervis library, which is commonly used in Jenkins environments for Job DSL plugin scripts and shared pipeline libraries. Prior to version 2.2, jervis derives its encryption salt by computing a sha256 hash of the passphrase. This approach results in the same derived encryption key being used for multiple encryption operations when the same password is applied. The core issue is inadequate encryption strength (CWE-326), specifically the reuse of cryptographic keys due to deterministic salt derivation. This undermines the confidentiality of encrypted data because attackers who observe multiple ciphertexts encrypted with the same key can perform cryptanalysis or replay attacks more easily. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without requiring authentication or user interaction, increasing its risk profile. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and high impact on confidentiality (VC:H) with no impact on integrity or availability. The vulnerability was published on January 13, 2026, and fixed in jervis version 2.2. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the deterministic key derivation method presents a significant cryptographic weakness that could be leveraged in targeted attacks against Jenkins pipelines that rely on jervis for encryption. This is particularly critical in CI/CD environments where pipeline secrets and credentials are protected by such encryption.

European organizations using Jenkins with the jervis library versions prior to 2.2 face significant risks. The reuse of encryption keys can lead to exposure of sensitive pipeline secrets, credentials, or configuration data, potentially allowing attackers to compromise build environments or inject malicious code into automated workflows. This can result in data breaches, supply chain attacks, or disruption of software delivery processes. Industries with stringent compliance requirements such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure are especially vulnerable to confidentiality breaches. The lack of authentication or user interaction requirements means attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely, increasing the attack surface. The impact extends to any organization leveraging Jenkins pipelines for automation, which is widespread across European enterprises. The potential for lateral movement within networks after initial compromise also raises concerns about broader organizational security.

The primary mitigation is to upgrade the jervis library to version 2.2 or later, where the salt derivation method has been corrected to ensure unique and unpredictable salts for each encryption operation. Organizations should audit their Jenkins environments to identify any usage of jervis versions below 2.2 and prioritize patching. Additionally, review and enhance encryption key management practices to avoid deterministic key derivation. Implement monitoring and alerting on Jenkins pipeline activities to detect unusual access or encryption-related anomalies. Restrict network access to Jenkins servers to trusted IPs and enforce strong authentication and authorization controls to limit potential exploitation vectors. Consider rotating any secrets or credentials that may have been encrypted with vulnerable keys. Finally, incorporate cryptographic best practices in pipeline scripts and shared libraries to prevent similar weaknesses.