CVE-2020-2156 in DeployHub Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
Jenkins DeployHub Plugin 8.0.14 and earlier transmits configured credentials in plain text as part of job configuration forms, potentially resulting in their exposure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2156 affects the Jenkins DeployHub Plugin version 8.0.14 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw in the handling of authentication credentials within continuous integration and deployment environments. This issue stems from the plugin's improper transmission of sensitive information during job configuration processes, creating an avenue for unauthorized access to system credentials. The DeployHub plugin serves as an integration layer for deployment automation within Jenkins, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on automated deployment pipelines.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to implement secure transmission mechanisms for credentials stored within job configuration forms. When administrators configure deployment jobs through the Jenkins interface, the plugin serializes and transmits credential information without encryption or proper obfuscation, leaving sensitive data exposed during network communication. This plain text transmission violates fundamental security principles and creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where network traffic can be intercepted to extract authentication details. The vulnerability specifically impacts the configuration phase of deployment jobs rather than runtime operations, making it particularly insidious as it affects the administrative processes that establish deployment capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of Jenkins environments that utilize the DeployHub plugin. Attackers who gain access to network traffic can extract deployment credentials and potentially gain unauthorized access to production systems, staging environments, or development infrastructure. This exposure enables privilege escalation attacks where attackers can perform deployments, modify configurations, or access sensitive data within the target environment. The vulnerability affects organizations using Jenkins for DevOps practices, where deployment automation is critical, potentially leading to complete system compromise if deployment credentials are used for multiple environments.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Jenkins DeployHub Plugin version 8.0.15 or later, which implements proper credential encryption and secure transmission mechanisms. Network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect potential credential interception attempts, while administrators should review and rotate credentials used in affected systems. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-319 (CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) classifications, demonstrating the plugin's failure to protect sensitive data both at rest and in transit. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1555 (Credentials from Password Stores) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) techniques, as attackers can leverage the exposed credentials to move laterally within networks and access additional systems. Security teams should implement network traffic analysis to detect anomalous credential transmission patterns and establish monitoring protocols for unauthorized configuration changes in Jenkins environments.