Missing SSH host key validation in Jenkins Amazon EC2 Plugin

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

5.6 · CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

EPSS

• CVE-2020-2185: 0.69% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 53.01 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Jenkins Amazon EC2 Plugin 1.50.1 and earlier does not use SSH host key validation when connecting to agents. This lack of validation could be abused using a man-in-the-middle attack to intercept these connections to build agents. Jenkins Amazon EC2 Plugin 1.50.2 provides strategies for performing host key validation for administrators to select the one that meets their security needs. It includes assistance for administrators to migrate to a new, more secure strategy. For more information see the plugin documentation.

Published by the source

24 May 2022, 17:17 UTC

Last modified by the source

14 Dec 2023, 09:28 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 16:21 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-q8qq-2p5p-rg44

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2020-2185

Advisory: Missing SSH host key validation in Jenkins Amazon EC2 Plugin
IDs: CVE-2020-2185, GHSA-q8qq-2p5p-rg44
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2020-2185 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 16:21 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.6)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: org.jenkins-ci.plugins:ec2 1.50.2. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Maven org.jenkins-ci.plugins:ec2: affected <= 1.50.1; fixed in 1.50.2

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Maven org.jenkins-ci.plugins:ec2: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on org.jenkins-ci.plugins:ec2.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-q8qq-2p5p-rg44 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-q8qq-2p5p-rg44 lists affected ranges: Maven org.jenkins-ci.plugins:ec2 >=0 <=1.50.1)

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