CVE-2019-10458 in Puppet Enterprise Pipeline
Summary
by MITRE
Jenkins Puppet Enterprise Pipeline 1.3.1 and earlier specifies unsafe values in its custom Script Security whitelist, allowing attackers able to execute Script Security protected scripts to execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-10458 affects Jenkins Puppet Enterprise Pipeline plugin versions 1.3.1 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw that enables privilege escalation through unsafe script security configurations. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's implementation of Script Security protection mechanisms, which are designed to prevent unauthorized code execution in Jenkins environments. The flaw manifests when the plugin establishes an insecure whitelist configuration that permits execution of potentially dangerous code patterns, effectively undermining the security controls intended to protect against malicious script injection attacks.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper implementation of the Script Security whitelist mechanism within the Jenkins plugin. Specifically, the plugin includes unsafe values in its default security policy configuration that allow execution of arbitrary code through scripts that should normally be restricted. This occurs because the whitelist does not adequately filter or validate the script content that can be executed within the Jenkins pipeline environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages existing legitimate script execution capabilities to bypass security boundaries, making it difficult to detect through standard monitoring mechanisms. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the security policy enforcement mechanism, specifically CWE-284 for improper access control and CWE-749 for exposed dangerous method or function.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-10458 is severe and potentially catastrophic for Jenkins environments that utilize the affected plugin. Attackers who can execute scripts within the Jenkins pipeline context can leverage this vulnerability to gain full system access, potentially compromising entire CI/CD pipelines and underlying infrastructure. The vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on the Jenkins server, which could lead to data exfiltration, system compromise, and further lateral movement within the network. This risk is particularly elevated in environments where Jenkins servers have elevated privileges or access to sensitive systems and data repositories. The attack surface extends beyond simple code execution to include potential privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms that could allow attackers to maintain long-term access to the compromised environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-10458 should prioritize immediate plugin version updates to 1.3.2 or later, which contain the necessary security patches to address the unsafe whitelist configuration. Organizations should also implement additional security controls including regular security audits of Jenkins plugin configurations, monitoring for unauthorized script executions, and enforcement of least privilege principles for Jenkins user accounts. The remediation process should include comprehensive review of existing Script Security policies and whitelist configurations to ensure that no unsafe values remain in the security policies. According to ATT&CK framework methodology, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and command execution within the target environment, making it a critical component of defensive security posture implementation. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions specifically designed to detect anomalous script execution patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.