CVE-2018-1000861
RCE in Jenkins ≤ 2.138.3
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2018-1000861 is a critical-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Jenkins Jenkins. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 0.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
A code execution vulnerability exists in the Stapler web framework used by Jenkins 2.153 and earlier, as well as LTS 2.138.3 and earlier. The issue is located in stapler/core/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/stapler/MetaClass.java and is associated with CWE-502. It allows crafted URLs to invoke methods on Java objects that were not intended to be called in this manner, producing a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8.
Attackers with network access can exploit the flaw without authentication or user interaction by submitting malicious URLs. Successful exploitation grants the ability to execute arbitrary code, resulting in full impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Public references, including the Jenkins security advisory at https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2018-12-05/#SECURITY-595 and the Red Hat errata RHBA-2019:0024, address the issue, while exploit code has been published on Packet Storm.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2022-4161
Vulnerability Data
A code execution vulnerability exists in the Stapler web framework used by Jenkins 2.153 and earlier, LTS 2.138.3 and earlier in stapler/core/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/stapler/MetaClass.java that allows attackers to invoke some methods on Java objects by accessing crafted URLs that were not intended…
more
to be invoked this way.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 10 February 2022
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.
Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.
Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.
Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.
Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.
Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.
Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or processing occurs.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
PR.PS-02 addresses only post-deployment updates/patching and cannot prevent introduction of unsafe deserialization code, yet it can remediate some instances when the flaw exists in outdated libraries or components.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing includes validation of deserialization routines and the use of untrusted data, reducing the likelihood that unsafe object reconstruction will be deployed.
Requiring vetted libraries, regular updates and SAST before release reduces the likelihood that deserialization logic will accept and act on attacker-controlled serialized objects.
Regular scanning of third-party libraries and timely patching reduce the likelihood that unsafe deserialization vulnerabilities remain active.
Mandatory malware scanning of data received over networks or storage media intercepts malicious serialized payloads before they are deserialized by the target application.