CVE-2023-24446 in OpenID Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/26/2023
A cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Jenkins OpenID Plugin 2.4 and earlier allows attackers to trick users into logging in to the attacker's account.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/04/2025
The CVE-2023-24446 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Jenkins OpenID Plugin version 2.4 and earlier, posing significant security risks to organizations relying on Jenkins for continuous integration and deployment workflows. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanisms of Jenkins installations that utilize OpenID for user authentication, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit user sessions and gain unauthorized access to systems. The flaw leverages the fundamental trust model inherent in web applications where browsers automatically include authentication cookies with requests to the same origin, but fails to properly validate the source of requests originating from external domains.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of the referer header and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the OpenID plugin's authentication flow. When users navigate to malicious websites or click on compromised links, the attacker can craft requests that appear to originate from legitimate Jenkins endpoints, tricking the user's browser into performing authenticated actions without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically affects the OpenID login process where the plugin fails to properly verify that requests are genuinely initiated by the authenticated user rather than by an attacker exploiting the trust relationship between the browser and the Jenkins server. This weakness is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to hijack user sessions and potentially gain administrative privileges within Jenkins environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can enable attackers to execute a wide range of malicious activities within Jenkins environments. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to modify build configurations, trigger unauthorized builds, access sensitive source code repositories, manipulate pipeline executions, and potentially escalate privileges to gain full administrative control over Jenkins servers. The vulnerability is especially concerning in enterprise environments where Jenkins serves as a central automation hub for development workflows, as it could compromise the integrity of entire software delivery pipelines. Organizations may face significant operational disruptions, including unauthorized code deployments, data exposure, and potential compromise of downstream systems that depend on Jenkins for automated processes.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Jenkins OpenID Plugin version 2.5 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the CSRF vulnerability. The fix typically involves implementing proper anti-CSRF token generation and validation mechanisms, strengthening referer header checks, and ensuring that all authentication-related requests are properly validated against the originating source. Additionally, security teams should review existing Jenkins configurations to ensure that appropriate access controls and authentication mechanisms are in place, including implementing multi-factor authentication, restricting Jenkins access through network segmentation, and monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and represents a common attack pattern categorized under ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for credential access through spearphishing with links, highlighting the importance of comprehensive security measures beyond simple plugin updates to protect against sophisticated attack vectors targeting authentication systems.