CVE-2020-2234 in Pipeline Maven Integration Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
A missing permission check in Jenkins Pipeline Maven Integration Plugin 3.8.2 and earlier allows users with Overall/Read access to connect to an attacker-specified JDBC URL using attacker-specified credentials IDs obtained through another method, potentially capturing credentials stored in Jenkins.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2234 resides within the Jenkins Pipeline Maven Integration Plugin version 3.8.2 and earlier, representing a critical permission bypass flaw that undermines the security posture of Jenkins environments. This issue stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the plugin's implementation, specifically failing to validate whether authenticated users possess appropriate authorization levels before permitting database connection operations. The vulnerability manifests when users with merely Overall/Read permissions can exploit the missing permission check to establish connections to arbitrary JDBC endpoints, effectively circumventing Jenkins' intended security boundaries.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and demonstrates how insufficient authorization checks can enable unauthorized data access patterns. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious pipeline jobs that utilize the compromised plugin functionality to connect to attacker-controlled database servers using credentials stored within Jenkins. The vulnerability operates through the plugin's handling of credential IDs, which are typically protected by Jenkins' access control system, but are accessible to unauthorized users due to the missing permission validation. This allows attackers to harvest stored credentials and potentially escalate their access to additional systems that rely on the compromised database connections.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-2234 extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access patterns that can facilitate further exploitation within the Jenkins ecosystem. The vulnerability can be exploited through pipeline job execution, making it particularly dangerous in environments where pipeline jobs are frequently executed and where users may have varying levels of access. Organizations utilizing Jenkins with the affected plugin version face significant risk of credential compromise, potentially leading to unauthorized access to databases, code repositories, and other systems that depend on Jenkins for automation. The attack vector becomes particularly concerning when considering that attackers can specify arbitrary JDBC URLs, allowing them to direct connections to databases within the organization's network or even to external systems they control for credential harvesting purposes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-2234 must prioritize immediate plugin version updates to address the permission check deficiency, while also implementing additional security controls within Jenkins environments. Organizations should enforce strict access controls and regularly audit user permissions to ensure that only authorized personnel can execute pipeline jobs that interact with external systems. The implementation of network segmentation and firewall rules can help limit the potential impact of credential theft by restricting database access from Jenkins servers. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing credential rotation procedures and monitoring for unauthorized database connection attempts as part of their security operations center activities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following the principle of least privilege and implementing proper access control mechanisms as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, where the missing permission check directly enables unauthorized access to sensitive resources.