CVE-2020-2286 in Role-based Authorization Strategy Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2020
Jenkins Role-based Authorization Strategy Plugin 3.0 and earlier does not properly invalidate a permission cache when the configuration is changed, resulting in permissions being granted based on an outdated configuration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2286 affects the Jenkins Role-based Authorization Strategy Plugin version 3.0 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw in access control management. This issue stems from inadequate cache invalidation mechanisms within the plugin's permission handling system, creating a persistent security risk that can undermine the integrity of Jenkins-based CI/CD environments. The flaw allows unauthorized access to resources through outdated permission configurations, potentially enabling privilege escalation and unauthorized system modifications.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the plugin's failure to properly invalidate its internal permission cache when configuration changes occur. When administrators modify user roles, permissions, or access controls within the Jenkins environment, the system should immediately refresh its cached permission data to reflect the new configuration. However, the affected versions maintain stale permission information in memory, causing the system to continue granting access based on previous settings rather than current security policies. This cache inconsistency creates a window where attackers or compromised users can exploit the outdated permission model to gain unauthorized access to restricted resources.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly weakens the security posture of Jenkins installations that rely on role-based access controls for protecting sensitive build processes, source code repositories, and system configurations. The delayed cache invalidation can persist for extended periods, allowing potential attackers to maintain elevated privileges beyond the intended duration of configuration changes. This flaw particularly affects organizations that frequently update access controls or implement just-in-time provisioning of user permissions, as the security model becomes increasingly unreliable over time. The vulnerability can lead to data breaches, unauthorized code deployments, and potential compromise of entire CI/CD pipelines.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Jenkins Role-based Authorization Strategy Plugin version 3.1 or later, which contains the necessary cache invalidation fixes. Organizations should also conduct thorough audits of their existing permission configurations to identify any potential exploitation windows, and consider implementing additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. Organizations should also review their Jenkins security configurations to ensure proper implementation of least privilege principles and maintain regular security assessments of their automation infrastructure.