Summary
Jenkins Email Extension Plugin 2.96 and earlier does not perform a permission check in a method implementing form validation.
This allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to check for the existence of files in the email-templates/ directory in the Jenkins home directory on the controller file system.
This form validation method requires the appropriate permission in Email Extension Plugin 2.96.1.
Impact
A file, directory, or other resource is assigned permissions that allow broader access than intended. Typical impact: unauthorized read, modification, or execution of the resource.
CVE-2023-32979 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (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 (2.96.1); 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.
Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-32979? CVE-2023-32979 is a medium-severity incorrect permission assignment for critical resource vulnerability in org.jenkins-ci.plugins:email-ext (maven), affecting versions < 2.96.1. It is fixed in 2.96.1. A file, directory, or other resource is assigned permissions that allow broader access than intended.
- How severe is CVE-2023-32979? CVE-2023-32979 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (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:email-ext are affected by CVE-2023-32979? org.jenkins-ci.plugins:email-ext (maven) versions < 2.96.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-32979? Yes. CVE-2023-32979 is fixed in 2.96.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-32979 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-32979 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-2023-32979 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-2023-32979? Upgrade
org.jenkins-ci.plugins:email-extto 2.96.1 or later.