CVE-2017-2600 in Jenkins
Summary
by MITRE
In jenkins before versions 2.44, 2.32.2 node monitor data could be viewed by low privilege users via the remote API. These included system configuration and runtime information of these nodes (SECURITY-343).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-2600 represents a critical access control flaw within the Jenkins continuous integration and delivery platform. This issue affected Jenkins versions prior to 2.44 and 2.32.2, where low privilege users could exploit a weakness in the remote API to gain unauthorized access to node monitor data. The vulnerability specifically allowed unauthorized information disclosure that included sensitive system configuration details and runtime information about Jenkins nodes, making it a significant security concern for organizations relying on Jenkins for their automation infrastructure.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate authorization checks within Jenkins' remote API implementation. When users with limited privileges made requests to the node monitoring endpoints, the system failed to properly validate their access rights before returning sensitive node data. This misconfiguration created a path for privilege escalation through information disclosure, where attackers could gather detailed system information about the underlying infrastructure without proper authentication or authorization. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, specifically focusing on insufficient authorization mechanisms in API endpoints. This weakness aligns with the broader category of information disclosure vulnerabilities that can provide attackers with intelligence needed for further exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it provides attackers with valuable insights into the target environment's infrastructure. The disclosed information includes system configuration details and runtime parameters that could be leveraged to plan more sophisticated attacks against the Jenkins infrastructure. Attackers could use this information to identify potential weaknesses in system configurations, understand the deployment architecture, and potentially exploit other vulnerabilities that might be present in the exposed environment. The security implications are particularly severe for organizations where Jenkins serves as a central automation hub, as this information could be used to compromise build processes, access source code repositories, or target other systems within the same network infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Jenkins versions 2.44 or 2.32.2 where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper access control enforcement. The fix involves strengthening authorization checks within the remote API to ensure that only users with appropriate privileges can access node monitor data. System administrators should also review existing user permissions and implement the principle of least privilege to minimize the risk of unauthorized access. Additionally, monitoring and logging of API access attempts should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in distributed systems and highlights how seemingly minor authorization flaws can have significant security implications. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and additional authentication layers to protect their Jenkins installations from unauthorized access attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated configuration to ensure that legitimate administrative functions remain accessible while unauthorized access is properly restricted.