CVE-2025-53666
📋 TL;DR
The Jenkins Dead Man's Snitch Plugin 0.1 stores sensitive authentication tokens unencrypted in job configuration files. This allows users with Item/Extended Read permissions or filesystem access to view these tokens, potentially enabling unauthorized access to external monitoring services. All Jenkins instances using this plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Jenkins Dead Man's Snitch Plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers gain access to Dead Man's Snitch tokens, allowing them to manipulate monitoring alerts, create false incidents, or access other integrated services using compromised credentials.
Likely Case
Internal users with read permissions or filesystem access can exfiltrate sensitive tokens, potentially leading to unauthorized access to monitoring systems and alert manipulation.
If Mitigated
With strict access controls and proper permission management, only authorized administrators can access configuration files, limiting exposure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires either Item/Extended Read permissions on Jenkins or direct filesystem access to the Jenkins controller.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version 0.2
Vendor Advisory: https://www.jenkins.io/security/advisory/2025-07-09/#SECURITY-3524
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Jenkins Dead Man's Snitch Plugin to version 0.2 via Jenkins Plugin Manager. 2. Restart Jenkins instance. 3. Regenerate any Dead Man's Snitch tokens that may have been exposed.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict File System Access
linuxLimit filesystem access to Jenkins controller to authorized administrators only.
chmod 600 /path/to/jenkins/jobs/*/config.xml
chown jenkins:jenkins /path/to/jenkins/jobs/*/config.xml
Review and Restrict Permissions
allAudit and minimize users with Item/Extended Read permissions in Jenkins.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove the Dead Man's Snitch Plugin entirely if not needed
- Implement strict access controls on Jenkins controller filesystem and review user permissions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if Dead Man's Snitch Plugin version 0.1 is installed via Jenkins Plugin Manager or by examining the plugins directory.Check Version:
grep -r 'deadmanssnitch' /var/lib/jenkins/plugins/ || check Jenkins web UI → Manage Jenkins → Plugin ManagerVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is 0.2 or higher in Jenkins Plugin Manager and check that tokens are no longer stored in plaintext in config.xml files.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized access attempts to config.xml files
- Suspicious permission changes in Jenkins
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected API calls to Dead Man's Snitch service from unauthorized sources
SIEM Query:
source="jenkins" AND (event="config.xml access" OR event="permission change")