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MetricsApplication · Jenkins

CVE-2022-20621

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-01-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.0.2.8 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Jenkins Metrics Plugin 4.0.2.8 and earlier stores an access key unencrypted in its global configuration file on the Jenkins controller where it can be viewed by users with access to the Jenkins controller file system.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Jenkins Metrics Plugin 4.0.2.8 and earlier stores an access key in plaintext in its global configuration file on the Jenkins controller. Users with file system access to the Jenkins controller can read this unencrypted access key.

MitigationUpdate to a patched version of the Jenkins Metrics Plugin that encrypts the access key, or rotate the exposed access key and restrict filesystem access to the Jenkins controller.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
MetricsApplication
Affected:<= 4.0.2.8

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed version of Jenkins Metrics Plugin
    In Jenkins UI, go to Manage Jenkins > Manage Plugins > Installed tab and search for 'Metrics', or use the CLI: java -jar jenkins-cli.jar list-plugins | grep Metrics
    Affected if Version is 4.0.2.8 or earlier, or the plugin is installed with no version visible (older than patched release)
  2. Locate the Jenkins Metrics Plugin global configuration file
    Navigate to the Jenkins home directory on the controller filesystem. The plugin stores its configuration in an XML file typically named something like metrics.xml or metrics-config.xml in JENKINS_HOME/
    Affected if The configuration file exists on the filesystem (plugin has been configured at least once)
  3. Inspect the configuration file for the access key
    Open the metrics configuration XML file using a text editor or command: cat JENKINS_HOME/metrics*.xml. Look for an element containing the access key or API key.
    Affected if An access key value is present in the file and appears as plaintext (readable alphanumeric string)
  4. Verify if the access key is encrypted
    Examine the access key field in the configuration file. A plaintext key will be a readable string. A properly encrypted key would appear as a longer, obfuscated string or use a credential binding.
    Affected if The access key field contains a readable plaintext string rather than an encrypted or masked value

A user is affected if the Jenkins Metrics Plugin version is 4.0.2.8 or earlier and the global configuration file contains a readable plaintext access key that could be extracted by anyone with filesystem access.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.0.2.8
Interim mitigation

Update to a patched version of the Jenkins Metrics Plugin that encrypts the access key, or rotate the exposed access key and restrict filesystem access to the Jenkins controller.

Recommended fix High confidence

Metrics Plugin version 4.0.2.9

  1. 1. Navigate to the Jenkins dashboard
  2. 2. Go to 'Manage Jenkins' > 'Manage Plugins'
  3. 3. Select the 'Installed' tab
  4. 4. Locate the 'Metrics' plugin in the list
  5. 5. If an update is available, check the plugin and click 'Download now and install after restart'
  6. 6. Alternatively, download the updated .hpi file from the Jenkins plugin repository and upload it via 'Advanced' > 'Upload Plugin'
  7. 7. Restart Jenkins to complete the installation
  8. 8. Verify the new version (4.0.2.9 or later) is installed under 'Manage Plugins' > 'Installed'

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Metrics Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,090
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,744.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-20621 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data