CVE-2024-21401 in Entra Jira Single-Sign-On Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/13/2024
Microsoft Entra Jira Single-Sign-On Plugin Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2024
This vulnerability resides within the Microsoft Entra Jira Single-Sign-On plugin which facilitates seamless authentication between Microsoft Entra ID and Atlassian Jira instances. The flaw represents a critical elevation of privilege weakness that allows authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user level to administrative access within the Jira environment. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper access control mechanisms within the plugin's authentication handling code, creating pathways for malicious actors to manipulate session tokens and gain unauthorized administrative capabilities.
The technical exploitation occurs through manipulation of authentication parameters during the single-sign-on process where the plugin fails to properly validate user roles and permissions before granting access to administrative functions. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting specially formatted requests that bypass normal authorization checks, effectively allowing them to perform actions typically restricted to administrators such as modifying user permissions, accessing sensitive project data, or manipulating system configurations. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization issues in software applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it provides attackers with comprehensive access to Jira's administrative interface, enabling them to modify user accounts, create backdoors, manipulate project permissions, and potentially exfiltrate sensitive data from within the organization's issue tracking system. Organizations using this plugin face significant risk of insider threat exploitation or external attacks that could compromise entire development workflows and sensitive project information. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Microsoft Entra ID integration for Jira access control, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Jira serves as a critical collaboration platform for software development teams.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patch application from Microsoft to address the specific privilege escalation flaw within the plugin code, followed by comprehensive review of existing user permissions and implementation of least-privilege access controls. Security teams should also deploy network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous authentication patterns and unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include implementing multi-factor authentication for all Jira administrators, conducting regular security audits of integrated authentication systems, and establishing strict monitoring protocols for privilege elevation events within the Jira environment. Organizations should also consider temporary removal of the vulnerable plugin until proper security controls are in place and validated through penetration testing procedures.