Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This Jenkins Pipeline: Groovy Plugin flaw could let trusted job configurators, or SCM contributors tied to Jenkinsfile pipelines, run arbitrary code on the Jenkins master JVM. That makes it a serious CI/CD control-plane risk, even though the provided sources do not show public active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority for Jenkins environments because successful abuse can compromise the CI/CD controller. Prioritize systems that build production software, deploy infrastructure, or hold secrets, but avoid claiming emergency exploitation without additional evidence.
Technical view
CVE-2018-1000866 is a sandbox bypass in Pipeline: Groovy Plugin 2.59 and earlier, involving SandboxTransformer and SandboxCpsTransformer. The described impact is arbitrary code execution on the Jenkins master JVM by users with Job/Configure permission or unauthorized users with SCM commit access to relevant Jenkinsfile pipelines.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely on Jenkins environments running Pipeline: Groovy Plugin 2.59 or earlier, especially where teams use Jenkinsfile-based pipelines from SCM and grant broad Job/Configure or repository commit access.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not indicate CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. The attacker path described requires Jenkins job configuration permission, or SCM commit privileges connected to Jenkinsfile-based pipelines, making insider, compromised developer account, or repository compromise scenarios most relevant.
Researcher notes
The provided CVE data names affected versions and code areas but does not provide CVSS, CWE, exploit evidence, or a fixed version. Validate against the Jenkins advisory before final remediation decisions, and focus review on sandboxed Pipeline Groovy execution boundaries.
Mitigation direction
- Check Jenkins advisory SECURITY-1186 for the vendor-fixed plugin version.
- Upgrade Pipeline: Groovy Plugin following Jenkins or Red Hat guidance.
- Restrict Job/Configure permission to trusted administrators only.
- Review SCM commit rights for repositories containing Jenkinsfiles.
- Audit pipeline jobs that execute Jenkinsfiles from shared repositories.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Jenkins controllers and installed Pipeline: Groovy Plugin versions.
- Flag any Pipeline: Groovy Plugin version 2.59 or earlier.
- List jobs using Jenkinsfiles sourced from SCM repositories.
- Review users and groups with Job/Configure permission.
- Confirm remediation against Jenkins or Red Hat advisory guidance.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
Execution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-1000866 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2018-10-29/#SECURITY-1186CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- RHBA-2019:0326CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBA-2019:0327CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.