CVE-2020-2149 in Repository Connector Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Jenkins Repository Connector Plugin 1.2.6 and earlier transmits configured credentials in plain text as part of its global Jenkins configuration form, potentially resulting in their exposure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2149 affects the Jenkins Repository Connector Plugin version 1.2.6 and earlier, presenting a significant security risk through improper credential handling within Jenkins configuration. This flaw resides in the plugin's global configuration form where user credentials are transmitted without encryption, creating an attack surface that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to repository systems. The issue fundamentally undermines the security posture of Jenkins environments that rely on this plugin for repository management operations.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to implement secure credential transmission mechanisms during the configuration process. When administrators configure repository connections through the Jenkins web interface, the plugin serializes and transmits authentication credentials in plain text format rather than employing encrypted communication channels. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-312, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of credentials, and aligns with CWE-522 which focuses on insufficiently protected credentials. The plain text transmission occurs over HTTP connections without any form of encryption or tokenization, making the credentials susceptible to interception during network transmission.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it enables attackers to establish unauthorized access to connected repositories and potentially compromise entire build pipelines. Attackers can exploit this weakness through various methods including man-in-the-middle attacks, network packet sniffing, or by compromising systems within the same network segment where Jenkins operates. Once credentials are obtained, threat actors can access source code repositories, deploy malicious code, modify build configurations, and potentially escalate privileges within the Jenkins environment. The vulnerability affects organizations using Jenkins for continuous integration and deployment processes, where repository access is critical for automated build operations and code management.
Security mitigations for CVE-2020-2149 primarily involve immediate plugin version updates to 1.2.7 or later, which addresses the plain text credential transmission issue through proper encryption mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation and ensure all Jenkins communications occur over HTTPS with properly configured SSL certificates to prevent plaintext transmission. Additionally, administrators should conduct comprehensive security audits of all Jenkins plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities and establish mandatory credential encryption policies. The remediation process should include disabling the vulnerable plugin version immediately while verifying that updated versions maintain proper functionality. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential harvesting through phishing and social engineering, though in this case the exposure occurs through direct network interception rather than user interaction. Organizations must also implement network monitoring solutions to detect unusual credential transmission patterns and establish incident response procedures for credential compromise scenarios.