CVE-2013-6372 in Subversion-plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The Subversion plugin before 1.54 for Jenkins stores credentials using base64 encoding, which allows local users to obtain passwords and SSH private keys by reading a subversion.credentials file.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6372 affects the Subversion plugin for Jenkins prior to version 1.54, representing a critical security flaw in credential handling mechanisms. This issue stems from the improper storage of authentication credentials within the Jenkins environment, specifically targeting the subversion.credentials file that contains sensitive information. The vulnerability exposes a fundamental weakness in how the plugin manages authentication data, creating an avenue for unauthorized access to system resources through local privilege escalation techniques. Security researchers have classified this as a credential exposure vulnerability that undermines the integrity of the Jenkins continuous integration platform.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the use of base64 encoding as a method for storing credentials rather than employing proper cryptographic protection mechanisms. Base64 encoding is a reversible transformation that merely obfuscates data without providing actual security, making it trivial for local users to decode the stored information and extract passwords and SSH private keys. The subversion.credentials file serves as the primary storage location for these encoded credentials, and its accessibility to local users creates a direct attack vector for privilege escalation. This approach violates established security principles and demonstrates a lack of proper encryption implementation within the plugin's credential management system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, potentially enabling attackers to gain unauthorized access to version control systems and associated repositories. Local users who can read the subversion.credentials file can extract SSH private keys, which may provide access to remote servers and repositories beyond the Jenkins instance itself. This creates a cascading security risk where compromise of a single Jenkins server could lead to broader access within the organization's infrastructure. The vulnerability affects organizations using Jenkins for continuous integration and deployment processes, where access to version control systems is critical for software development workflows. The impact is particularly severe in environments where Jenkins is used to manage multiple projects and repositories, as a single compromised credential could provide access to numerous systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-6372 require immediate patching of the Jenkins Subversion plugin to version 1.54 or later, which implements proper credential encryption mechanisms. Organizations should also review file permissions on the subversion.credentials file to ensure that only authorized processes can access it, implementing the principle of least privilege. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and represents a failure to implement proper cryptographic practices for credential storage. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under credential access and privilege escalation tactics. Administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized file access attempts and regularly audit credential storage mechanisms to prevent similar issues. The remediation process should include rotating all affected credentials and verifying that no unauthorized access has occurred through the exploitation of this vulnerability.