CVE-2024-23902 in GitLab Branch Source Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/24/2024
A cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Jenkins GitLab Branch Source Plugin 684.vea_fa_7c1e2fe3 and earlier allows attackers to connect to an attacker-specified URL.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/18/2024
The cross-site request forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-23902 affects the Jenkins GitLab Branch Source Plugin version 684.vea_fa_7c1e2fe3 and earlier releases, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of web application requests. This vulnerability resides within the plugin's handling of user interactions and authentication mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and its users. The flaw specifically enables unauthorized parties to manipulate the plugin's functionality by forcing users to perform actions without their knowledge or consent, potentially leading to unauthorized system modifications or data exposure.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper validation mechanisms for requests originating from the GitLab Branch Source Plugin. When users interact with the Jenkins interface while authenticated, the plugin fails to adequately verify the source of requests, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the system. This weakness manifests in the plugin's inability to distinguish between authorized user-initiated requests and those generated by attackers through crafted web pages or malicious payloads. The vulnerability operates by leveraging the authenticated session of legitimate users to execute unintended operations, exploiting the trust relationship that exists between the Jenkins server and its authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can potentially allow attackers to establish persistent access to the Jenkins environment through the compromised plugin. An attacker could leverage this flaw to connect to attacker-specified URLs, enabling them to redirect or manipulate the plugin's communication with GitLab services. This capability could lead to unauthorized code execution, data theft, or the establishment of backdoors within the CI/CD pipeline. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on GitLab integration within their Jenkins environments, as it undermines the security of automated build and deployment processes that are fundamental to modern software development workflows.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest version of the GitLab Branch Source Plugin where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper CSRF token validation and request origin verification. The remediation process should also involve implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious cross-site request patterns. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of their Jenkins environments to identify any other plugins or components that may be susceptible to similar CSRF vulnerabilities. According to CWE guidelines, this vulnerability maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique under T1566, specifically targeting credential access through web application attacks, where the vulnerability serves as a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks within the target environment.