CVE-2019-16545 in QMetry for JIRA Test Management Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Jenkins QMetry for JIRA - Test Management Plugin transmits credentials in its configuration in plain text as part of job configuration forms, potentially resulting in their exposure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-16545 affects the Jenkins QMetry for JIRA - Test Management Plugin, which is widely used for test management integration within Jenkins continuous integration environments. This plugin facilitates the connection between Jenkins build systems and JIRA issue tracking platforms, enabling automated test execution and reporting. The flaw resides in how the plugin handles authentication credentials within its job configuration interfaces, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this integration for their software development workflows. The issue specifically manifests when users configure test jobs that require authentication with JIRA systems, as the plugin stores and transmits these credentials without proper encryption or obfuscation mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly secure sensitive authentication data during the configuration process. When administrators or developers configure jobs that interact with JIRA systems, the plugin captures username and password credentials directly from the user interface and stores them within the job configuration files in plain text format. This design flaw violates fundamental security principles for credential handling and represents a direct violation of the CWE-312 weakness category, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of credentials. The plain text storage occurs at multiple levels including both the configuration form submissions and the persistence of these values in Jenkins job configurations, making the credentials accessible to any user with read access to the Jenkins configuration files or job definitions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it creates potential attack vectors for unauthorized access to JIRA systems and the broader software development infrastructure. An attacker who gains access to Jenkins configuration files or who can execute code on the Jenkins server can directly extract these plain text credentials and use them to authenticate against JIRA systems, potentially gaining access to sensitive project data, test results, and development artifacts. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that maintain tight integration between their CI/CD pipelines and issue tracking systems, where Jenkins serves as the central hub for automated testing and deployment processes. The exposure of JIRA credentials through this plugin can lead to unauthorized modifications of test plans, manipulation of test results, and potential access to confidential development information, making it a critical concern for security-conscious organizations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including updating to the patched version of the QMetry plugin where available, or implementing alternative authentication mechanisms that do not rely on plain text credential storage. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of all Jenkins configurations to identify and remove any existing plain text credentials, while implementing proper access controls to limit who can view or modify job configurations. The mitigation strategy should also include monitoring for unauthorized access attempts and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of Jenkins servers to untrusted networks. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability directly impacts organizations that must adhere to security frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001, as it represents a failure to properly protect sensitive information and maintain secure configuration practices. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under credential access techniques, specifically targeting the T1555.003 sub-technique for credentials from password storage devices, highlighting the importance of proper credential handling in CI/CD environments where automated systems frequently require authentication with external services.