CVE-2023-40341 in Blue Ocean Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/16/2023
A cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Jenkins Blue Ocean Plugin 1.27.5 and earlier allows attackers to connect to an attacker-specified URL, capturing GitHub credentials associated with an attacker-specified job.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2023
This cross-site request forgery vulnerability in the Jenkins Blue Ocean Plugin represents a critical security flaw that enables attackers to manipulate authenticated user sessions and extract sensitive credential information. The vulnerability specifically affects versions 1.27.5 and earlier, where the plugin fails to properly validate cross-site requests, allowing malicious actors to craft crafted requests that leverage existing user sessions. The flaw occurs when the plugin processes requests without adequate CSRF token validation, making it possible for attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users who are authenticated to the Jenkins instance.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and lack of proper session management within the plugin's web interface. When users interact with the Blue Ocean plugin's job configuration features, the system should validate that requests originate from legitimate sources and contain appropriate authentication tokens. However, the vulnerability allows attackers to specify arbitrary URLs and target specific jobs, potentially capturing GitHub credentials that are associated with those job configurations. This creates a scenario where an authenticated user's session can be exploited to perform actions that the user did not intend or authorize.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables attackers to potentially gain unauthorized access to source code repositories and CI/CD pipelines. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to manipulate job configurations, inject malicious code, or even gain access to sensitive build artifacts and deployment credentials. The attack vector typically involves tricking authenticated users into visiting malicious websites or clicking on compromised links that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable Jenkins instance. This form of attack is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Jenkins instances often contain credentials for multiple repositories and deployment targets.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws in web applications. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under TA0001 Initial Access and TA0003 Persistence categories, as attackers can establish persistent access through credential theft and automated job manipulation. Organizations should immediately update to patched versions of the Blue Ocean plugin, implement proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, and conduct security reviews of all installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. Network segmentation and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns can serve as additional defensive measures, while user education about suspicious link clicking remains crucial in preventing successful exploitation attempts.
The broader implications for Jenkins security highlight the importance of maintaining up-to-date plugin ecosystems and implementing comprehensive security controls for continuous integration systems. Given that Jenkins serves as a central hub for software development workflows, vulnerabilities in its plugins can provide attackers with extensive access to development environments and source code repositories. Organizations should establish regular security assessment procedures for their CI/CD infrastructure and maintain strict version control policies for all plugin installations. The vulnerability also demonstrates the need for robust session management practices and proper input validation across all web application components, particularly those handling sensitive authentication data and repository credentials.