CVE-2020-15776 in Gradle
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Gradle Enterprise 2018.2 - 2020.2.4. CSRF mitigation can be bypassed because the anti-CSRF token is in a cleartext cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-15776 affects Gradle Enterprise versions ranging from 2018.2 through 2020.2.4, representing a critical security flaw in the platform's cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms. This issue stems from a fundamental design weakness where the anti-CSRF token is stored within a cleartext cookie, effectively undermining the security controls intended to prevent unauthorized actions. The vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of user sessions within the Gradle Enterprise environment, potentially allowing malicious actors to exploit the system's authentication and authorization processes. The flaw exists at the application layer, specifically within the session management and security token implementation components, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on Gradle Enterprise for their software development and build automation workflows.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of security tokens within the web application's cookie storage mechanism. When anti-CSRF tokens are stored in cleartext cookies, they become accessible to attackers through various means including cross-site scripting attacks, man-in-the-middle interception, or even simple browser inspection tools. This design flaw allows an attacker to extract the token from the cookie and subsequently forge requests that appear legitimate to the Gradle Enterprise server. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses, and demonstrates a classic example of inadequate token protection mechanisms. The cleartext storage of security tokens violates fundamental security principles and creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation attacks against authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to perform authenticated actions on behalf of legitimate users within the Gradle Enterprise environment. This includes but is not limited to modifying build configurations, accessing sensitive project data, creating or deleting build artifacts, and potentially gaining access to underlying infrastructure components that rely on Gradle Enterprise for their operations. Organizations using affected versions face significant risk of supply chain attacks, where compromised build processes could lead to malicious code injection into software releases. The vulnerability also impacts compliance with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001, as it represents a failure to implement proper session management controls. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain persistent access to development environments, potentially leading to long-term compromise of software development pipelines and intellectual property.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-15776 require immediate action from affected organizations, including upgrading to Gradle Enterprise versions that address this specific vulnerability. The recommended approach involves implementing proper token storage mechanisms that do not expose security tokens in cleartext within cookies, such as using HttpOnly flags, secure flags, and proper encryption for token storage. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers including web application firewalls, enhanced monitoring for suspicious activities, and regular security assessments of their build environments. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper security design principles and highlights the need for continuous security testing throughout the software development lifecycle. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) as attackers may exploit this weakness to establish persistent access or conduct more sophisticated attacks against the build infrastructure. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation attempts.