CVE-2023-24424 in OpenId Connect Authentication Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/26/2023
Jenkins OpenId Connect Authentication Plugin 2.4 and earlier does not invalidate the previous session on login.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The Jenkins OpenId Connect Authentication Plugin vulnerability CVE-2023-24424 represents a critical session management flaw that undermines the security of authentication processes within Jenkins environments. This vulnerability affects versions 2.4 and earlier of the OpenId Connect plugin, which is widely used for integrating Jenkins with identity providers such as Google, Microsoft Azure, and other OpenId Connect compliant systems. The issue manifests when users authenticate through the plugin, as the system fails to properly terminate existing user sessions upon successful login, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical flaw stems from improper session invalidation mechanisms within the plugin's authentication flow. When a user logs in through OpenId Connect, the plugin should invalidate any previously established sessions to ensure that only the current authenticated user maintains access to the system. However, this validation process is bypassed in affected versions, allowing attackers to potentially reuse old session tokens even after legitimate users have logged out or after new authentication events occur. This behavior creates a session hijacking vulnerability where unauthorized parties might gain access to Jenkins resources using stale session identifiers. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-613, which addresses insufficient session expiration, and represents a failure in proper session lifecycle management that directly impacts the principle of least privilege and access control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session management issues and can lead to significant security breaches within Jenkins environments. Attackers who exploit this vulnerability can maintain access to Jenkins systems even after legitimate users have logged out, potentially gaining access to build artifacts, configuration settings, and sensitive pipeline information. This persistent access capability enables attackers to perform unauthorized operations such as triggering builds, modifying configurations, accessing credentials stored in Jenkins, and potentially escalating privileges within the system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where Jenkins serves as a central automation hub for continuous integration and deployment processes, as it can provide attackers with unauthorized access to critical development infrastructure. Organizations using Jenkins for production deployments may face severe consequences including data breaches, compromised build integrity, and potential supply chain attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-24424 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Jenkins OpenId Connect plugin to version 2.5 or later, which contains the necessary session invalidation fixes. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring and logging controls to detect anomalous authentication patterns or multiple simultaneous sessions for the same user account. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of all Jenkins instances to identify systems running vulnerable plugin versions and ensure proper session management configurations are in place. Network-level controls such as implementing strict access controls, using secure authentication protocols, and deploying intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and adhering to security frameworks such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines, which emphasize proper session management as a fundamental security control. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication and just-in-time access provisioning to minimize the impact of session-related vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that session management controls are functioning correctly and that no other authentication-related vulnerabilities exist within the Jenkins ecosystem.