CVE-2020-2213: Whitesource Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-v8v2-fhgv-3vq2
Share
CVSS 4.3
CWE-522 CWE-256
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-2213 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.3) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials) affecting Whitesource libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves credentials stored in plain text by jenkins white source plugin. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 20.8.1.

CVE-2020-2213 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-2213
GHSA Identifier GHSA-v8v2-fhgv-3vq2
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.3
CWE Classification CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials
Affected Product Whitesource
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.3

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2020-2213

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Whitesource 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:whitesource fixed: 20.8.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jenkins-ci.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>whitesource</artifactId>
    <version>20.8.1</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-2020-2213, 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 Whitesource in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 20.8.1), 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-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials, where the product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval. In Whitesource, 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

White Source Plugin prior to version 20.8.1 stores credentials in plain text as part of its global configuration file `org.whitesource.jenkins.pipeline.WhiteSourcePipelineStep.xml` and job config.xml files on the Jenkins controller. These credentials could be viewed by users with Extended Read permission (in the case of job config.xml files) or access to the Jenkins controller file system. Version 20.8.1 contains a patch for the issue.

CVE-2020-2213 Affected Whitesource Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
20.8.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.jenkins-ci.plugins:whitesource
maven/org.jenkins-ci.plugins/whitesource
Maven
< 20.8.1
20.8.1

References

NVD — CVE-2020-2213 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-2213
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jenkinsci/whitesource-plugin/commit/4a9ee37246848c65cd41c5cf17d84992ffc6d21d
Whitesource Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/jenkinsci/whitesource-plugin
Whitesource Security Information SECURITY
https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2020-07-02/#SECURITY-1630
Whitesource Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/07/02/7

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-2213?
CVE-2020-2213 is a security vulnerability in Whitesource involving Credentials stored in plain text by Jenkins White Source Plugin under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials.
Which Whitesource versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 20.8.1 across affected packages: org.jenkins-ci.plugins:whitesource.
What version fixes CVE-2020-2213?
Upgrading to 20.8.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is whitesource affected?
Yes, org.jenkins-ci.plugins:whitesource is affected in releases prior to 20.8.1. Upgrade your dependency to 20.8.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-2213?
CVE-2020-2213 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-2213?
CVE-2020-2213 is classified under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials (The product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-2213?
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-v8v2-fhgv-3vq2",
  "modified" : "2022-12-29T00:50:08Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:22:19Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-2213" ],
  "summary" : "Credentials stored in plain text by Jenkins White Source Plugin",
  "details" : "White Source Plugin prior to version 20.8.1 stores credentials in plain text as part of its global configuration file `org.whitesource.jenkins.pipeline.WhiteSourcePipelineStep.xml` and job config.xml files on the Jenkins controller. These credentials could be viewed by users with Extended Read permission (in the case of job config.xml files) or access to the Jenkins controller file system. Version 20.8.1 contains a patch for the issue.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jenkins-ci.plugins:whitesource"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "20.8.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-2213"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/whitesource-plugin/commit/4a9ee37246848c65cd41c5cf17d84992ffc6d21d"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/whitesource-plugin"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2020-07-02/#SECURITY-1630"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/07/02/7"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-256", "CWE-522" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-12-29T00:50:08Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-07-02T15:15:00Z"
  }
}