CVE-2023-40349 in Gogs Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/16/2023
Jenkins Gogs Plugin 1.0.15 and earlier improperly initializes an option to secure its webhook endpoint, allowing unauthenticated attackers to trigger builds of jobs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-40349 affects the Jenkins Gogs Plugin version 1.0.15 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of continuous integration and deployment pipelines. This issue stems from an improper initialization of security options within the plugin's webhook endpoint configuration, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to gain unauthorized access to build systems. The flaw specifically impacts organizations that rely on Gogs webhook integration within their Jenkins environments, potentially exposing their automated build processes to unauthorized triggering.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient validation and secure initialization of webhook security parameters within the Jenkins Gogs Plugin. When the plugin processes incoming webhook requests from Gogs repositories, it fails to properly authenticate or authorize these requests, allowing any unauthenticated attacker to send malicious webhook payloads that can trigger automated builds. This improper initialization essentially disables the intended security controls that should validate the authenticity of webhook sources before executing build operations. The vulnerability creates a scenario where the plugin accepts webhook requests without verifying their origin or ensuring proper authentication mechanisms are in place.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-40349 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially enabling attackers to disrupt continuous integration workflows, consume excessive system resources through unauthorized build triggering, and potentially execute malicious code if the build environment contains vulnerable components. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to flood the Jenkins server with build requests, causing resource exhaustion and denial of service conditions that impact legitimate development workflows. Additionally, the ability to trigger unauthorized builds may allow attackers to introduce malicious code into the build pipeline, especially if the build environment lacks proper isolation or security controls. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can be categorized under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest version of the Jenkins Gogs Plugin where the issue has been resolved, implementing additional webhook authentication mechanisms such as HMAC signatures, and configuring proper network-level access controls to restrict webhook endpoint access. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for executing malicious code through build systems and T1499.004 for denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion. Security teams should also consider implementing webhook request validation at the network level, monitoring for unusual build triggering patterns, and ensuring that webhook endpoints are not accessible from untrusted networks. The fix typically involves proper initialization of security options and implementation of robust authentication mechanisms for webhook endpoints, ensuring that only legitimate Gogs servers can trigger Jenkins builds through webhook integration.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper security initialization in plugin architectures and highlights the risks associated with inadequate authentication controls in automated build systems. The impact is particularly severe in environments where Jenkins serves as a central automation hub for development workflows, as unauthorized build triggering can compromise the entire CI/CD pipeline integrity and potentially lead to supply chain attacks through malicious code injection. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Jenkins environments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other plugins and ensure proper security hardening of their continuous integration infrastructure.