CVE-2017-2599 in Jenkins
Summary
by MITRE
Jenkins before versions 2.44 and 2.32.2 is vulnerable to an insufficient permission check. This allows users with permissions to create new items (e.g. jobs) to overwrite existing items they don't have access to (SECURITY-321).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2599 represents a critical permission bypass issue within Jenkins continuous integration and delivery platform. This flaw exists in Jenkins versions prior to 2.44 and 2.32.2, where the system fails to properly validate user permissions when processing item creation requests. The vulnerability stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that allow authenticated users to manipulate existing items without proper authorization, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on Jenkins for automated build and deployment processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the insufficient permission checking logic within Jenkins' item management system. When users with the ability to create new items attempt to create items with names that already exist, the system should verify that the user has write permissions for the existing item before allowing overwrites. However, this validation is bypassed, enabling malicious or unauthorized users to overwrite critical configuration files, build scripts, or other sensitive artifacts that they should not have access to. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and mandatory access control, allowing for potential privilege escalation and unauthorized modification of system resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2599 extends beyond simple permission bypass, as it enables attackers to potentially compromise the integrity of the entire CI/CD pipeline. An attacker could overwrite existing jobs with malicious build scripts, inject backdoors into deployment processes, or modify critical configuration parameters that control system behavior. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a specific instance of inadequate authorization checks in software systems. The security implications are particularly severe in environments where Jenkins serves as the central automation hub for software development and deployment operations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to Jenkins versions 2.44 or 2.32.2, which contain the necessary permission validation fixes. System administrators should also review and tighten existing user permissions, implementing principle of least privilege practices to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. The remediation process should include comprehensive auditing of existing jobs and configurations to identify any unauthorized modifications that may have occurred. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as job content validation, automated monitoring for unauthorized job modifications, and regular security assessments of their CI/CD infrastructure to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of their automation stack. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in enterprise automation platforms and aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and persistence within automated systems.