CVE-2020-2154 in Zephyr for JIRA Test Management Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Jenkins Zephyr for JIRA Test Management Plugin 1.5 and earlier stores its credentials in plain text in a global configuration file on the Jenkins master file system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2154 affects the Jenkins Zephyr for JIRA Test Management Plugin version 1.5 and earlier, presenting a critical security risk through improper credential handling practices. This issue resides within the plugin's configuration management system where sensitive authentication information is stored without adequate encryption or obfuscation mechanisms. The flaw manifests as plaintext storage of credentials in a global configuration file located on the Jenkins master server's file system, creating an exploitable vector for unauthorized access to integrated JIRA environments. The vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in secure credential storage practices and directly violates established security principles for protecting sensitive authentication data within enterprise automation platforms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's design decision to persist authentication credentials in plain text format rather than utilizing Jenkins' built-in credential management systems or industry-standard encryption mechanisms. When administrators configure the plugin to connect to their JIRA instances, the provided username and password are written directly to a configuration file without any form of encryption, hashing, or secure storage treatment. This plain text storage occurs at the file system level on the Jenkins master node, making the credentials accessible to any user or process with read access to that specific file location. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-312 (Sensitive Data Exposure) and specifically relates to CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials) within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, highlighting the fundamental weakness in credential protection mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-2154 extends beyond simple credential exposure, creating a comprehensive security risk that can enable attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to connected JIRA environments. An attacker who gains file system access to the Jenkins master node can directly extract the stored credentials and use them to authenticate to the integrated JIRA instance, potentially gaining access to test management data, execution permissions, and administrative capabilities within the JIRA environment. This vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including local file system compromise, privilege escalation attacks, or through compromised Jenkins agents that might have access to the master node's file system. The impact is particularly severe in environments where Jenkins is used for continuous integration and deployment workflows, as the compromised credentials could enable attackers to manipulate test results, access sensitive project data, or even modify production deployment configurations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-2154 require immediate attention and should include upgrading to a patched version of the Jenkins Zephyr for JIRA Test Management Plugin where credentials are properly encrypted and stored using Jenkins' secure credential management systems. Organizations should implement proper access controls and file system permissions to limit read access to the configuration files containing sensitive information, although this represents a temporary workaround rather than a permanent solution. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all Jenkins plugins utilize the Jenkins Credentials Plugin for secure credential storage, which provides encryption and proper access controls through the platform's native credential management infrastructure. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security audits of their Jenkins configurations to identify and remediate similar credential storage vulnerabilities across all installed plugins and components, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1555.003 (Credentials from Password Stores) and emphasizing the importance of proper credential handling throughout the software development lifecycle.