CVE-2020-2311 in AWS Global Configuration Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/04/2020
A missing permission check in Jenkins AWS Global Configuration Plugin 1.5 and earlier allows attackers with Overall/Read permission to replace the global AWS configuration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2020-2311 represents a critical permission escalation issue within the Jenkins AWS Global Configuration Plugin ecosystem. This flaw exists in versions 1.5 and earlier, where the plugin fails to properly validate user permissions before allowing configuration modifications. The vulnerability specifically targets the global AWS configuration settings that are critical for cloud infrastructure management within Jenkins environments. Attackers who possess only the basic Overall/Read permission can exploit this weakness to replace the entire global AWS configuration, effectively bypassing intended security controls and potentially gaining unauthorized access to cloud resources.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access control implementation within the plugin's configuration management functions. According to CWE-284, this represents an improper access control scenario where the system fails to properly enforce authorization checks. The plugin's code does not adequately verify whether the requesting user has the necessary privileges to modify global AWS settings, creating a pathway for privilege escalation. This flaw operates at the application level where the permission system is designed to prevent unauthorized modifications but fails to enforce proper authorization boundaries. The missing permission check creates a direct attack vector that allows unauthorized users to manipulate critical infrastructure configuration data.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using Jenkins for continuous integration and deployment workflows that rely on AWS cloud services. When exploited, attackers can replace the global AWS configuration with malicious settings, potentially redirecting all cloud operations through compromised credentials or unauthorized endpoints. This could lead to unauthorized cloud resource consumption, data exfiltration, or complete compromise of cloud infrastructure access. The attack scenario typically involves an attacker with minimal permissions who can leverage this vulnerability to gain broader access to cloud resources, making it particularly dangerous in environments where Jenkins serves as a central point for cloud automation. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of cloud infrastructure configurations, potentially causing operational disruptions and security breaches.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability involve immediate upgrading of the AWS Global Configuration Plugin to version 1.6 or later, where the missing permission check has been properly implemented. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive audits of their Jenkins plugin ecosystem to identify similar permission-related issues across other plugins. Implementing proper principle of least privilege access controls within Jenkins ensures that users only receive the minimum permissions necessary for their roles. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network-level controls and monitoring for unauthorized configuration changes, as well as regular security assessments of their CI/CD environments. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and can be categorized under T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, as attackers can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to cloud resources. Organizations should also review their Jenkins security configurations against industry standards such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks to ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities.