CVE-2020-2302 in Active Directory Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/04/2020
A missing permission check in Jenkins Active Directory Plugin 2.19 and earlier allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to access the domain health check diagnostic page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2302 resides within the Jenkins Active Directory Plugin version 2.19 and earlier, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security model of the Jenkins continuous integration platform. This issue manifests as a missing permission check that allows unauthorized access to sensitive diagnostic information through the domain health check page. The vulnerability specifically affects systems where Jenkins is configured to integrate with Active Directory environments, making it particularly relevant for enterprise environments that rely on centralized authentication and authorization mechanisms.
The technical flaw stems from an insufficient validation of user permissions within the plugin's access control implementation. When a user with only Overall/Read permission attempts to access the domain health check diagnostic page, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user should have access to this particular administrative functionality. This missing permission check creates an access control bypass that enables attackers to obtain detailed information about the Active Directory integration, including potential domain controller health status, authentication configurations, and other sensitive diagnostic data that should only be accessible to users with appropriate administrative privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that could be leveraged for further attacks within the Jenkins environment. The domain health check page typically contains information about the Active Directory connection status, authentication methods, and potentially sensitive configuration details that could aid in privilege escalation attacks or help attackers understand the network topology and authentication mechanisms in place. This information disclosure vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should govern all access control systems.
Organizations utilizing Jenkins with Active Directory integration face significant risk from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where Jenkins serves as a central point for build automation and deployment processes. The attack vector is relatively simple, requiring only a user with Overall/Read permission to exploit the flaw, which is often granted to developers and other users who do not require administrative access. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in large organizations where read permissions are commonly granted to broader user groups. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1069.001, which covers credential access through the use of system network configuration discovery, as the information obtained through this flaw could be used to map network authentication mechanisms and potentially identify additional attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-2302 should prioritize immediate patching of the Active Directory Plugin to version 2.20 or later, which contains the necessary permission checks to prevent unauthorized access. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to Jenkins servers and ensure that administrative functions are properly isolated from general user access. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive access control reviews to ensure that users with Overall/Read permissions are not granted unnecessary access to diagnostic and administrative interfaces. Regular security audits of Jenkins plugins and configurations should be performed to identify similar permission bypass vulnerabilities, and organizations should consider implementing more granular permission controls that align with the principle of least privilege. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in enterprise security systems and highlights the need for continuous security assessment of integration points between different authentication and authorization systems.