CVE-2018-1999044: Jenkins core Infinite Loop Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8qpf-fv36-h4r8
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-835
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-1999044 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) infinite loop vulnerability (CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')) affecting Jenkins core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves infinite loop in jenkins core. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.138.

CVE-2018-1999044 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-1999044
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8qpf-fv36-h4r8
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
Affected Product Jenkins core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-1999044

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Jenkins core dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core fixed: 2.138 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jenkins-ci.main</groupId>
    <artifactId>jenkins-core</artifactId>
    <version>2.138</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jenkins-ci.main

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-1999044, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jenkins-ci.main

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Jenkins core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.138), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jenkins-ci.main command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop'), where the product contains an iteration or loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached, i.e., an infinite loop. In Jenkins core, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A Cron expression form validation could enter infinite loop, potentially resulting in denial of service. The form validation for cron expressions (e.g. "Poll SCM", "Build periodically") could enter infinite loops when cron expressions only matching certain rare dates were entered, blocking request handling threads indefinitely.

CVE-2018-1999044 Affected Jenkins core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.138
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core
maven/org.jenkins-ci.main/jenkins-core
Maven
< 2.138
2.138

References

NVD — CVE-2018-1999044 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-1999044
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/commit/e5046911c57e60a1d6d8aca9b21bd9093b0f3763
Jenkins core Security Information SECURITY
https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2018-08-15/#SECURITY-790

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-1999044?
CVE-2018-1999044 is a security vulnerability in Jenkins core involving Infinite Loop in Jenkins Core under CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop').
Which Jenkins core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.138 across affected packages: org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core.
What version fixes CVE-2018-1999044?
Upgrading to 2.138 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is jenkins-core affected?
Yes, org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core is affected in releases prior to 2.138. Upgrade your dependency to 2.138 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-1999044?
CVE-2018-1999044 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-1999044?
CVE-2018-1999044 is classified under CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') (The product contains an iteration or loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached, i.e., an infinite loop.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-1999044?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jenkins-ci.main'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-8qpf-fv36-h4r8",
  "modified" : "2022-11-02T00:42:37Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:50:55Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-1999044" ],
  "summary" : "Infinite Loop in Jenkins Core",
  "details" : "A Cron expression form validation could enter infinite loop, potentially resulting in denial of service. The form validation for cron expressions (e.g. \"Poll SCM\", \"Build periodically\") could enter infinite loops when cron expressions only matching certain rare dates were entered, blocking request handling threads indefinitely.\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.138"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-1999044"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/commit/e5046911c57e60a1d6d8aca9b21bd9093b0f3763"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2018-08-15/#SECURITY-790"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-835" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-11-02T00:42:37Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-08-23T18:29:00Z"
  }
}