CVE-2020-2300: Active directory Improper Authentication (empty Password) Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8wcw-cw2f-h4g2
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-2300 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) improper authentication (empty password) vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Active directory libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper authentication (empty password) in jenkins active directory plugin. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.20, 2.16.1.

CVE-2020-2300 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-2300
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8wcw-cw2f-h4g2
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Active directory
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2020-2300

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Active directory dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.jenkins-ci.plugins:active-directory fixed: 2.20 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jenkins-ci.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>active-directory</artifactId>
    <version>2.20</version>
</dependency>
org.jenkins-ci.plugins:active-directory fixed: 2.16.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jenkins-ci.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>active-directory</artifactId>
    <version>2.16.1</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jenkins-ci.plugins

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-2300, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jenkins-ci.plugins

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Active directory in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.20), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jenkins-ci.plugins command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Active directory, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Jenkins Active Directory Plugin implements two separate modes: Integration with ADSI on Windows, and an OS agnostic LDAP-based mode. The Windows/ADSI mode does not specifically prohibit use of empty passwords in Active Directory Plugin prior to 2.20 and 2.16.1. If the Active Directory server allows the unauthenticated bind operation, this allows attackers to log in to Jenkins as any user by providing an empty password. Jenkins Active Directory Plugin 2.20 and 2.16.1 prohibits the use of an empty password to log in.

CVE-2020-2300 Affected Active directory Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.202.16.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.jenkins-ci.plugins:active-directory
maven/org.jenkins-ci.plugins/active-directory
Maven
≥ 2.17
< 2.20
2.20
org.jenkins-ci.plugins:active-directory
maven/org.jenkins-ci.plugins/active-directory
Maven
< 2.16.1
2.16.1

References

NVD — CVE-2020-2300 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-2300
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jenkinsci/active-directory-plugin/commit/57e78ea7bb96b4e59405f28959ade2d26821163d
Active directory Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelist/blob/381fe967666a5ce01625a7a050427aa4757e3ca6/2020/2xxx/CVE-2020-2300.json
Active directory Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/jenkinsci/active-directory-plugin
Active directory Security Information SECURITY
https://www.jenkins.io/security/advisory/2020-11-04/#SECURITY-2099
Active directory Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/11/04/6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-2300?
CVE-2020-2300 is a security vulnerability in Active directory involving Improper Authentication (empty password) in Jenkins Active Directory Plugin under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Active directory versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.20, 2.16.1 across affected packages: org.jenkins-ci.plugins:active-directory.
What version fixes CVE-2020-2300?
Upgrading to 2.20, 2.16.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is active-directory affected?
Yes, org.jenkins-ci.plugins:active-directory is affected in releases prior to 2.20, 2.16.1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.20, 2.16.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-2300?
CVE-2020-2300 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-2300?
CVE-2020-2300 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-2300?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jenkins-ci.plugins'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-8wcw-cw2f-h4g2",
  "modified" : "2023-10-27T12:02:08Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:33:07Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-2300" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Authentication (empty password) in Jenkins Active Directory Plugin",
  "details" : "Jenkins Active Directory Plugin implements two separate modes: Integration with ADSI on Windows, and an OS agnostic LDAP-based mode.\n\nThe Windows/ADSI mode does not specifically prohibit use of empty passwords in Active Directory Plugin prior to 2.20 and 2.16.1. If the Active Directory server allows the unauthenticated bind operation, this allows attackers to log in to Jenkins as any user by providing an empty password.\n\nJenkins Active Directory Plugin 2.20 and 2.16.1 prohibits the use of an empty password to log in.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jenkins-ci.plugins:active-directory"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.17"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.20"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jenkins-ci.plugins:active-directory"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.16.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-2300"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/active-directory-plugin/commit/57e78ea7bb96b4e59405f28959ade2d26821163d"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelist/blob/381fe967666a5ce01625a7a050427aa4757e3ca6/2020/2xxx/CVE-2020-2300.json"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/active-directory-plugin"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.jenkins.io/security/advisory/2020-11-04/#SECURITY-2099"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/11/04/6"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-09-08T00:45:01Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-11-04T15:15:00Z"
  }
}