Summary
Jenkins Role-based Authorization Strategy Plugin grants permissions even after they’ve been disabled
Permissions in Jenkins can be enabled and disabled. Some permissions are disabled by default, e.g., Overall/Manage or Item/Extended Read. Disabled permissions cannot be granted directly, only through greater permissions that imply them (e.g., Overall/Administer or Item/Configure).
Role-based Authorization Strategy Plugin 587.v2872c41fa_e51 and earlier grants permissions even after they’ve been disabled.
This allows attackers to have greater access than they’re entitled to after the following operations took place:
A permission is granted to attackers directly or through groups.
The permission is disabled, e.g., through the script console.
Role-based Authorization Strategy Plugin 587.588.v850a_20a_30162 does not grant disabled permissions.
Impact
CVE-2023-28668 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (587.588.v850a_20a_30162); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-28668? CVE-2023-28668 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.jenkins-ci.plugins:role-strategy (maven), affecting versions < 587.588.v850a. It is fixed in 587.588.v850a_20a_30162.
- How severe is CVE-2023-28668? CVE-2023-28668 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (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.
- Which versions of org.jenkins-ci.plugins:role-strategy are affected by CVE-2023-28668? org.jenkins-ci.plugins:role-strategy (maven) versions < 587.588.v850a is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-28668? Yes. CVE-2023-28668 is fixed in 587.588.v850a_20a_30162. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-28668 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-28668 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-28668 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2023-28668? Upgrade
org.jenkins-ci.plugins:role-strategyto 587.588.v850a_20a_30162 or later.