CVE-2020-2142 in P4 Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
A missing permission check in Jenkins P4 Plugin 1.10.10 and earlier allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to trigger builds.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2142 resides within the Jenkins P4 Plugin version 1.10.10 and earlier, representing a critical permission bypass flaw that undermines the security model of Jenkins continuous integration platform. This issue specifically affects the plugin's handling of build triggering mechanisms, where proper access controls fail to validate user permissions adequately. The vulnerability manifests when attackers with only Overall/Read permission attempt to trigger builds, which should normally require higher privileges according to Jenkins security principles.
The technical flaw stems from a missing permission check within the plugin's implementation, where the system fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses sufficient authorization to execute build operations. This missing validation occurs at the plugin level rather than being handled by Jenkins' core permission system, creating a gap in the security architecture that malicious actors can exploit. The vulnerability essentially allows unauthorized users to bypass the normal permission hierarchy that should prevent read-only users from initiating build processes, which could lead to unintended system modifications or resource consumption.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to Jenkins environments where multiple users with varying permission levels coexist. Attackers who gain access to systems with Overall/Read permission can potentially trigger builds that may consume considerable computational resources, disrupt ongoing development processes, or even execute malicious code if the build environment contains vulnerable components. The implications extend beyond simple resource exhaustion, as unauthorized build triggering could provide attackers with opportunities to manipulate the CI/CD pipeline, potentially leading to code injection or deployment of compromised artifacts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and demonstrates how plugin-level security flaws can compromise the broader security posture of Jenkins installations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques where attackers leverage existing permissions to gain additional capabilities within the system. The issue also reflects poor security implementation practices that violate the principle of least privilege, as the plugin fails to enforce proper access controls that should be maintained at all layers of the application stack.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Jenkins P4 Plugin version 1.10.11 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as this release includes the necessary permission checks to prevent unauthorized build triggering. System administrators should also review existing user permissions and implement stricter access controls, ensuring that users with Overall/Read permission cannot trigger builds. Additionally, monitoring and logging mechanisms should be enhanced to detect suspicious build triggering activities, providing visibility into potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive security testing of all Jenkins plugins to identify similar permission bypass vulnerabilities that may exist in the broader plugin ecosystem.