CVE-2014-3667 in Jenkins
Summary
by MITRE
CloudBees Jenkins before 1.583 and LTS before 1.565.3 does not properly prevent downloading of plugins, which allows remote authenticated users with the Overall/READ permission to obtain sensitive information by reading the plugin code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3667 affects CloudBees Jenkins continuous integration server versions prior to 1.583 and LTS versions prior to 1.565.3. This security flaw represents a critical information disclosure issue that undermines the integrity of the plugin management system within Jenkins. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls that fail to properly restrict plugin download capabilities, creating an avenue for unauthorized information retrieval. Attackers with minimal privileges can exploit this weakness to access sensitive code components that should remain protected within the Jenkins ecosystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the improper validation of access permissions during plugin download operations. Specifically, authenticated users possessing only the Overall/READ permission can bypass expected security boundaries to retrieve plugin source code and related artifacts. This flaw operates at the application level and demonstrates a failure in proper privilege enforcement mechanisms. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, specifically focusing on insufficient privileges for file access operations. The flaw allows for unauthorized code inspection that could reveal implementation details, potential attack vectors, and sensitive configuration information embedded within plugin code.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-3667 extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains access to plugin source code which may contain hardcoded credentials, API keys, or other sensitive information. The ability to read plugin code creates opportunities for attackers to identify additional vulnerabilities within the Jenkins environment or develop targeted attacks against specific plugin implementations. This information can be leveraged to craft more effective exploits against other components of the CI/CD pipeline, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects organizations using Jenkins as their primary continuous integration platform, particularly those with multiple plugins installed that may contain sensitive implementation details.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability by upgrading to Jenkins versions 1.583 or LTS 1.565.3 and later. The upgrade process should be conducted carefully to ensure no disruption to ongoing CI/CD operations while maintaining security integrity. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation to limit access to Jenkins servers, enforcing strict access controls for Jenkins user accounts, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts to plugin download functionality. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation and information gathering techniques, where attackers can leverage initial access to expand their reconnaissance efforts. Organizations should also consider implementing automated plugin management systems that can identify and remediate outdated or insecure plugin versions within their Jenkins environments.