CVE-2018-1999045: Jenkins core Improper Authentication Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-q4cq-r7hg-pxqq
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CVSS 5.4
CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-1999045 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.4) improper authentication vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Jenkins core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper authentication in jenkins. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.121.3, 2.138.

CVE-2018-1999045 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-1999045
GHSA Identifier GHSA-q4cq-r7hg-pxqq
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.4
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Jenkins core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.4

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:L/I:L/A:N).

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 Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2018-1999045

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: 2.121.3 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jenkins-ci.main</groupId>
    <artifactId>jenkins-core</artifactId>
    <version>2.121.3</version>
</dependency>
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-2018-1999045, 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 2.121.3), 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-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. 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 improper authentication vulnerability exists in Jenkins 2.137 and earlier, 2.121.2 and earlier in SecurityRealm.java, TokenBasedRememberMeServices2.java that allows attackers with a valid cookie to remain logged in even if that feature is disabled.

CVE-2018-1999045 Affected Jenkins core Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.121.32.138
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core
maven/org.jenkins-ci.main/jenkins-core
Maven
< 2.121.3
2.121.3
org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core
maven/org.jenkins-ci.main/jenkins-core
Maven
≥ 2.122
< 2.138
2.138

References

NVD — CVE-2018-1999045 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-1999045
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/commit/24d350d8a6f033bf32c94b3f7cca2d1ab2f9df03
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/commit/ef9583a24abc4de157e1570cb32d7a273d327f36
Jenkins core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins
Jenkins core Security Information SECURITY
https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2018-08-15/#SECURITY-996

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-1999045?
CVE-2018-1999045 is a security vulnerability in Jenkins core involving Improper Authentication in Jenkins under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Jenkins core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.121.3, 2.138 across affected packages: org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core.
What version fixes CVE-2018-1999045?
Upgrading to 2.121.3, 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 2.121.3, 2.138. Upgrade your dependency to 2.121.3, 2.138 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-1999045?
CVE-2018-1999045 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-1999045?
CVE-2018-1999045 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-1999045?
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-q4cq-r7hg-pxqq",
  "modified" : "2022-06-28T23:43:53Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T01:04:56Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-1999045" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Authentication in Jenkins",
  "details" : "A improper authentication vulnerability exists in Jenkins 2.137 and earlier, 2.121.2 and earlier in SecurityRealm.java, TokenBasedRememberMeServices2.java that allows attackers with a valid cookie to remain logged in even if that feature is disabled.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.121.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.122"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.138"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-1999045"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/commit/24d350d8a6f033bf32c94b3f7cca2d1ab2f9df03"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/commit/ef9583a24abc4de157e1570cb32d7a273d327f36"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2018-08-15/#SECURITY-996"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-06-28T23:43:53Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-08-23T18:29:00Z"
  }
}