CVE-2026-57293: Jenkins Gitee Plugin Credential Enumeration Vulnerability

Technical summary

CVE-2026-57293 is a permission-bypass vulnerability in Jenkins Gitee Plugin version 1288.v18b_deb_c9069b_ and earlier. The plugin fails to correctly validate user permissions when exposing credential identifiers. Specifically, a user holding the global Item/Configure permission can enumerate credential IDs even though they lack Item/Configure permission on individual jobs—a configuration that should normally gate such access. The vulnerability leverages CWE-862 (Incorrect Authorization) and allows low-privilege authenticated users to harvest credential metadata without authentication escalation.

Business impact

Credential enumeration can inform follow-up attacks. Once an attacker knows which credentials exist in Jenkins (API tokens, cloud provider keys, deployment credentials, etc.), they can target those credentials through other means: phishing developers, exploiting other vulnerabilities, or social engineering. This is especially risky if Jenkins is integrated with CI/CD pipelines for sensitive deployments. In regulated environments, unauthorized disclosure of credential names or IDs may trigger compliance incidents. The threat is bounded—attackers cannot immediately use the credentials they discover—but it materially increases the attack surface.

Affected systems

Jenkins instances running Gitee Plugin version 1288.v18b_deb_c9069b_ or earlier are affected. The Gitee Plugin is used to integrate Jenkins with Gitee repositories. Risk is highest in multi-user Jenkins environments where users with global Item/Configure permission are not fully trusted or where job-level access controls are relied upon to protect sensitive credentials.

Exploitability

Exploitability is moderate. An attacker must already possess global Item/Configure permission on the Jenkins instance—a privilege that typically requires administrative trust or account compromise. Once that access is held, no additional interaction or credentials are needed to enumerate other credentials. The attack is straightforward and automated. However, the requirement for pre-existing authenticated access prevents widespread exploitation by unauthenticated external attackers.

Remediation

Upgrade the Jenkins Gitee Plugin to a patched version that correctly validates permission checks. Verify the exact version by consulting the Jenkins security advisory and the vendor's plugin repository. In the interim, restrict assignment of global Item/Configure permission to only fully trusted administrators, and review Jenkins user roles to ensure least-privilege access. Additionally, audit Jenkins access logs to detect any suspicious credential enumeration activity.

Patch guidance

Check the Jenkins security advisory and plugin update center for the patched version of Gitee Plugin. Typically, Jenkins plugins are updated through the Jenkins UI (Manage Jenkins > Manage Plugins) or by updating the plugin JAR file in the JENKINS_HOME/plugins directory. After upgrading, restart Jenkins and verify that the plugin version has been updated. If the advisory specifies a minimum version, confirm your version meets or exceeds that threshold before considering the remediation complete.

Detection guidance

Monitor Jenkins audit logs and plugin activity for users with global Item/Configure permission accessing credential APIs or listing endpoints. Check Jenkins web UI logs for requests to credential enumeration endpoints (typically under /credentials/ paths). If available, enable verbose logging on the Gitee Plugin. Review Jenkins role-based access control (RBAC) configurations to identify users holding global Item/Configure permission unnecessarily. Consider using Jenkins security tools or SIEM integration to alert on anomalous credential metadata access patterns.

Why prioritize this

Although CVSS 4.3 is classified as MEDIUM severity, prioritize this vulnerability in multi-user Jenkins environments and CI/CD systems handling sensitive secrets. The threat is particularly acute if Jenkins instances authenticate to cloud providers, container registries, or deployment targets with high-value credentials. If your Jenkins instance is single-user or allows no untrusted users with global permissions, priority can be lower. In shared or partially untrusted environments, patch promptly.

Risk score, explained

CVSS 4.3 reflects low attack complexity, low privilege requirements (user must already have global Item/Configure), and a low-impact disclosure (credential IDs only, not their values). The score does not account for the context that credential enumeration often precedes larger attacks, nor does it weight the sensitivity of secrets typically stored in Jenkins. Use this score as a baseline, but adjust priority based on your organization's Jenkins deployment model, user trust levels, and the criticality of credentials stored in your instance.

Frequently asked questions