CVE-2023-37961 in Assembla Auth Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/12/2023
A cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Jenkins Assembla Auth Plugin 1.14 and earlier allows attackers to trick users into logging in to the attacker's account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2023
The cross-site request forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-37961 affects the Jenkins Assembla Auth Plugin version 1.14 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines user authentication integrity. This vulnerability operates within the context of web application security where legitimate user sessions are manipulated through maliciously crafted requests that exploit the trust relationship between the user's browser and the targeted application. The Assembla Auth Plugin serves as an authentication mechanism within Jenkins, enabling users to authenticate against Assembla services, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations that rely on integrated authentication workflows.
The technical implementation of this CSRF flaw stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the plugin's authentication handling process. When users navigate to the Assembla authentication endpoint, the system fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources within the user's session context. This weakness allows attackers to construct malicious web pages or email attachments that, when viewed by authenticated users, automatically submit authentication requests to the Jenkins instance. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication flow where users are redirected to Assembla for credential verification, creating a window where attackers can intercept or manipulate session establishment processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables attackers to establish unauthorized access to Jenkins instances through legitimate user sessions. An attacker can craft a webpage containing hidden iframes or JavaScript that triggers authentication requests to the target Jenkins instance, effectively hijacking the user's session and gaining access to the attacker's account credentials. This type of attack leverages the principle of trust that exists between web browsers and applications, where users are automatically authenticated based on their session cookies without proper validation of request origins. The implications are severe for organizations that use Jenkins for continuous integration and deployment, as compromised credentials could lead to unauthorized code deployments, data manipulation, or complete system compromise.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to the patched version of the Assembla Auth Plugin to address this vulnerability, as the flaw provides attackers with a straightforward method for session hijacking and unauthorized access. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms within the authentication flow, ensuring that all state-changing requests include unique, unpredictable tokens that are validated server-side. This approach aligns with established security practices outlined in CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities and their remediation through proper token implementation. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as origin validation checks, browser-based security headers, and regular security assessments of their Jenkins plugin ecosystem to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning given the widespread use of Jenkins in enterprise environments and the plugin's integration with popular authentication services. Security teams should monitor for any exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and implement web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious authentication requests. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices within plugin ecosystems, as many organizations may not regularly update third-party components despite their critical security implications. This issue demonstrates how seemingly isolated plugin vulnerabilities can create significant risks within larger application architectures, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security assessments and regular vulnerability scanning across all integrated systems.