CVE-2025-68703 identifies a cryptographic weakness in the samrocketman jervis library, a tool widely used in Jenkins environments for managing Job DSL plugin scripts and shared pipeline libraries. The vulnerability stems from inadequate encryption strength due to the salt derivation process. Specifically, versions of jervis prior to 2.2 derive the salt by computing the SHA-256 hash of the passphrase (sha256Sum(passphrase)). This deterministic approach results in the same encryption key being generated for identical passwords across different encryption operations. Consequently, if an attacker obtains encrypted data and knows or can guess the passphrase, they can exploit this predictable key derivation to decrypt multiple encrypted payloads, compromising confidentiality. The vulnerability does not require any privileges, authentication, or user interaction, and can be exploited remotely if the attacker can access encrypted data. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N) reflects a network attack vector with low complexity and no required privileges or user interaction, but with high impact on confidentiality. The flaw is addressed in jervis version 2.2, which implements a more secure salt generation mechanism, likely involving random or per-encryption unique salts, thus preventing key reuse. No public exploit code or active exploitation has been reported to date. Given jervis's role in Jenkins pipelines, this vulnerability could expose sensitive build or deployment secrets if exploited.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-68703 is significant, particularly those relying on Jenkins for continuous integration and deployment pipelines that utilize the jervis library. The predictable key derivation compromises the confidentiality of encrypted data within pipeline scripts or shared libraries, potentially exposing sensitive credentials, configuration secrets, or proprietary code. This exposure could lead to unauthorized access to internal systems, intellectual property theft, or further lateral movement within corporate networks. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation and lack of required privileges increase the risk of widespread compromise. Industries with stringent data protection requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, face heightened risks due to potential regulatory non-compliance and operational disruptions. Additionally, the vulnerability could undermine trust in automated DevOps processes, leading to increased operational costs and remediation efforts. Although no known exploits exist currently, the high CVSS score and straightforward exploitation path necessitate urgent attention to prevent future attacks.

To mitigate CVE-2025-68703, European organizations should immediately upgrade all instances of the samrocketman jervis library to version 2.2 or later, where the salt derivation method has been corrected to prevent key reuse. Organizations should audit their Jenkins pipelines and Job DSL scripts to identify any usage of vulnerable jervis versions and encrypted data that may have been compromised. It is advisable to rotate any secrets or credentials that were encrypted using affected versions to prevent unauthorized access. Implementing strict passphrase policies with high entropy can reduce the risk of key derivation attacks, although this is a secondary measure given the deterministic salt issue. Additionally, organizations should consider integrating secret management solutions that separate encryption responsibilities from pipeline scripts to minimize exposure. Monitoring Jenkins logs and network traffic for unusual access patterns or data exfiltration attempts can help detect exploitation attempts early. Finally, educating DevOps teams about secure encryption practices and the importance of timely library updates will strengthen overall security posture.