CVE-2022-20616 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This article provides an overview of CVE-2022-20616, a security vulnerability in the Jenkins Credentials Binding Plugin that affects versions <= 1.27.

Understanding CVE-2022-20616

CVE-2022-20616 is a vulnerability in the Jenkins Credentials Binding Plugin that allows attackers with Overall/Read access to validate if a credential ID refers to a secret file credential and whether it's a zip file.

What is CVE-2022-20616?

The vulnerability in Jenkins Credentials Binding Plugin version 1.27 and earlier arises from a lack of permission check in a method implementing form validation, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive information.

The Impact of CVE-2022-20616

Attackers with Overall/Read access can exploit this vulnerability to determine the nature of credentials stored in the plugin, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data and compromise of the Jenkins environment.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-20616

The technical details of CVE-2022-20616 include:

Vulnerability Description

Jenkins Credentials Binding Plugin 1.27 and earlier lacks a permission check in form validation, exposing secret file credentials to unauthorized users.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected systems include Jenkins instances with Jenkins Credentials Binding Plugin version <= 1.27.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers with Overall/Read access can use the absence of permission checks to identify secret file credentials and determine if they are zip files, potentially leading to unauthorized access.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2022-20616, consider the following measures:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Jenkins Credentials Binding Plugin to version 1.24.1 or higher.
Restrict Overall/Read access to authorized users only.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update permissions and access controls on Jenkins.
Monitor Jenkins security advisories for updates and patches.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by the Jenkins project to address vulnerabilities like CVE-2022-20616.