MEDIUM CVSS 4.6
Published: 2021-02-24

CVE-2021-21616

jenkins active_choices Security Advisory (CVE-2021-21616)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-21616 impacting jenkins active_choices. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 4.6 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Jenkins Active Choices Plugin 2.5.2 and earlier does not escape reference parameter values, resulting in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exploitable by attackers with Job/Configure permission.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
Required (UI:R)
User must click or open resource
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
Low (C:L)
Partial information leakage
Integrity
Low (I:L)
Partial data modification possible
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product jenkins / active_choices
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-79

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-21616 impacting jenkins active_choices.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-21616.yaml
id: cve-2021-21616

info:
  name: jenkins active_choices - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-21616 affecting jenkins active_choices.
    Evaluation: Jenkins Active Choices Plugin 2.5.2 and earlier does not escape reference parameter values, resulting in a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabi...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-21616
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
    cvss-score: 4.6
    cve-id: CVE-2021-21616
    cwe-id: CWE-79
  tags: cve,cve-2021-21616,jenkins,active_choices,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "active_choices"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-21616.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-21616
# Target: jenkins active_choices | CVSS: 4.6 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-21616 (jenkins active_choices)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against jenkins active_choices scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-21616.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-21616
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install active_choices 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade active_choices 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update active_choices

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i active_choices 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i active_choices

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-21616 in jenkins active_choices?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update jenkins active_choices packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-21616?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-21616?

CVE-2021-21616 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 4.6 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
4.6
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-21616
Weakness CWE-79
Vendor jenkins
Product active_choices
Published 2021-02-24
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N