CVE-2021-21634: Jabber Passwords Stored Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-79r5-rhrw-7pvh
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-522
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-21634 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) passwords stored vulnerability (CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials) affecting Jabber libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves passwords stored in plain text by jenkins jabber (xmpp) notifier and control plugin. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.42.

CVE-2021-21634 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-21634
GHSA Identifier GHSA-79r5-rhrw-7pvh
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials
Affected Product Jabber
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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-21634

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Jabber 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.jvnet.hudson.plugins:jabber fixed: 1.42 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jvnet.hudson.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>jabber</artifactId>
    <version>1.42</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.jvnet.hudson.plugins

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-21634, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jvnet.hudson.plugins

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Jabber in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.42), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jvnet.hudson.plugins 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-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials, where the product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval. In Jabber, 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

Jenkins Jabber (XMPP) notifier and control Plugin 1.41 and earlier stores passwords unencrypted in its global configuration file `hudson.plugins.jabber.im.transport.JabberPublisher.xml` on the Jenkins controller as part of its configuration. These passwords can be viewed by users with access to the Jenkins controller file system. Jenkins Jabber (XMPP) notifier and control Plugin 1.42 stores passwords encrypted once its configuration is saved again.

CVE-2021-21634 Affected Jabber Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.42
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.jvnet.hudson.plugins:jabber
maven/org.jvnet.hudson.plugins/jabber
Maven
< 1.42
1.42

References

NVD — CVE-2021-21634 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21634
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jenkinsci/jabber-plugin/commit/67882cfd189d6d05ad39e043edbfbf079dc37677
Jabber Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/jenkinsci/jabber-plugin
Jabber Security Information SECURITY
https://www.jenkins.io/security/advisory/2021-03-30/#SECURITY-2162
Jabber Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/03/30/1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-21634?
CVE-2021-21634 is a security vulnerability in Jabber involving Passwords stored in plain text by Jenkins Jabber (XMPP) notifier and control Plugin under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials.
Which Jabber versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.42 across affected packages: org.jvnet.hudson.plugins:jabber.
What version fixes CVE-2021-21634?
Upgrading to 1.42 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is jabber affected?
Yes, org.jvnet.hudson.plugins:jabber is affected in releases prior to 1.42. Upgrade your dependency to 1.42 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-21634?
CVE-2021-21634 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-21634?
CVE-2021-21634 is classified under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials (The product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-21634?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jvnet.hudson.plugins'. 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-79r5-rhrw-7pvh",
  "modified" : "2023-10-27T14:16:19Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:45:47Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-21634" ],
  "summary" : "Passwords stored in plain text by Jenkins Jabber (XMPP) notifier and control Plugin",
  "details" : "Jenkins Jabber (XMPP) notifier and control Plugin 1.41 and earlier stores passwords unencrypted in its global configuration file `hudson.plugins.jabber.im.transport.JabberPublisher.xml` on the Jenkins controller as part of its configuration.\n\nThese passwords can be viewed by users with access to the Jenkins controller file system.\n\nJenkins Jabber (XMPP) notifier and control Plugin 1.42 stores passwords encrypted once its configuration is saved again.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jvnet.hudson.plugins:jabber"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.42"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.41"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21634"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/jabber-plugin/commit/67882cfd189d6d05ad39e043edbfbf079dc37677"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/jabber-plugin"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.jenkins.io/security/advisory/2021-03-30/#SECURITY-2162"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/03/30/1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-522" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-12-15T17:08:05Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-03-30T12:16:00Z"
  }
}