CVE-2021-21649

Cross-site Scripting in Jenkins Dashboard View Plugin

Jenkins Dashboard View Plugin prior to 2.16 and 2.12.1 does not escape URLs referenced in Image Dashboard Portlets, resulting in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exploitable by attackers with View/Configure permission.

As part of this fix, the property for image URLs was changed from url to imageUrl. Existing Configuration as Code configurations are still supported, but exports will emit the new property.

Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session. Typical impact: session or credential theft, and actions taken as the user.

CVE-2021-21649 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.16, 2.12.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2021-21649? CVE-2021-21649 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dashboard-view (maven), affecting versions >= 2.13, < 2.16. It is fixed in 2.16, 2.12.1. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
2. How severe is CVE-2021-21649? CVE-2021-21649 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dashboard-view are affected by CVE-2021-21649? org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dashboard-view (maven) versions >= 2.13, < 2.16 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2021-21649? Yes. CVE-2021-21649 is fixed in 2.16, 2.12.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2021-21649 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-21649 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2021-21649 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2021-21649?
   • Upgrade org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dashboard-view to 2.16 or later
   • Upgrade org.jenkins-ci.plugins:dashboard-view to 2.12.1 or later

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