CVE-2026-57287: Jenkins Job Configuration History Plugin Secret Exposure Vulnerability

Technical summary

CVE-2026-57287 is a sensitive information disclosure vulnerability in Jenkins Job Configuration History Plugin version 1356.ve360da_6c523a_ and earlier. The plugin stores historical snapshots of Jenkins job and agent configurations for audit and recovery purposes. However, the configuration history display mechanism does not properly redact encrypted credential values before rendering them to users. An authenticated attacker holding Extended Read permission can enumerate and access these encrypted secrets through the plugin's web interface or API. The vulnerability is rooted in improper output encoding/filtering of sensitive fields during historical configuration retrieval (CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information).

Business impact

This vulnerability enables credential theft within Jenkins environments where the Job Configuration History Plugin is active. Attackers with Extended Read access—a permission level often granted to build engineers, CI/CD operators, or even read-only auditors—can extract encrypted secret material that would normally be hidden. Compromised credentials may include API keys, cloud provider tokens, container registry credentials, or signing certificates embedded in job definitions. This escalates the risk of lateral movement, supply chain attacks, and unauthorized access to downstream systems integrated with Jenkins pipelines.

Affected systems

Jenkins Job Configuration History Plugin version 1356.ve360da_6c523a_ and all earlier versions are affected. The vulnerability requires the affected plugin to be installed and active on a Jenkins controller. Exploitation requires an attacker to have at least Extended Read permission within Jenkins, a role commonly assigned to developers, QA engineers, and automation operators. Jenkins instances without this plugin, or those running patched versions after 1356.ve360da_6c523a_, are not affected.

Exploitability

The vulnerability is straightforward to exploit. An attacker with valid Jenkins credentials and Extended Read permission can navigate to the Job Configuration History page and view historical configurations. No special tooling, authentication bypass, or privilege escalation is required. The barrier to exploitation is purely credential-based, making this a risk primarily from insider threats or compromised user accounts within the Jenkins user base. The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.3 (Medium) reflects low attack complexity and the requirement for authentication, balanced against the limited impact (confidentiality only).

Remediation

Patch the Jenkins Job Configuration History Plugin to a version after 1356.ve360da_6c523a_. Jenkins administrators should verify the latest patched version in the official Jenkins plugin repository and upgrade immediately. As a temporary mitigation, restrict Extended Read permissions to only users who require configuration audit access, and monitor access logs for suspicious configuration history queries. Consider disabling the plugin entirely if historical configuration audit is not a business requirement.

Patch guidance

Check the Jenkins plugin update center for Job Configuration History Plugin versions newer than 1356.ve360da_6c523a_. Verify the patched version against the official Jenkins security advisory. Apply the patch through Jenkins' plugin manager (Manage Jenkins → Manage Plugins) and restart Jenkins to activate the fix. Test in a pre-production environment to confirm no functional regression with your job definitions and agent configurations. After patching, review configuration history one more time to ensure secrets are properly redacted.

Detection guidance

Monitor Jenkins audit logs for access to the Job Configuration History page, especially by users with Extended Read but not broader administrative roles. If SIEM integration is available, flag configuration history access patterns that differ from baseline. Inspect the Job Configuration History Plugin logs for any rendered credential values. Use Jenkins' built-in audit trail (if enabled) to identify which users accessed configuration history and when. Review Jenkins role-based access control (RBAC) configuration to identify and audit all users with Extended Read permission.

Why prioritize this

Although the CVSS score is moderate (4.3), this vulnerability should be treated as high priority in most Jenkins environments because: (1) credentials are the crown jewel of CI/CD infrastructure, (2) exploitation requires no technical sophistication, (3) Extended Read is a commonly assigned permission, and (4) the plugin is widely used for compliance and audit purposes. Organizations with sensitive build pipelines, regulated workloads, or multi-tenant Jenkins controllers should prioritize patching within 7 days.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 4.3 reflects a Medium severity rating. The score accounts for network accessibility (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), and requirement for authentication (PR:L, Extended Read permission). Impact is limited to confidentiality (C:L); integrity and availability are not affected. In context, the actual business risk may be higher due to the criticality of credentials in CI/CD environments, warranting expedited patching despite the moderate CVSS score.

Frequently asked questions