CVE-2020-2108: Websphere deployer XXE Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-f5wx-w2f9-82gh
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CVSS 7.6
CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-2108 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.6) xxe vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting Websphere deployer libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves xxe vulnerability in jenkins websphere deployer plugin. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2020-2108 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-2108
GHSA Identifier GHSA-f5wx-w2f9-82gh
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.6
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product Websphere deployer
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.6

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L).

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 High (C:H)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2020-2108

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Websphere deployer 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:websphere-deployer fixed: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jenkins-ci.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>websphere-deployer</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</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-2020-2108, 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 Websphere deployer in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), 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-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference, where the product processes an xml document that can contain xml entities with uris that resolve to documents outside of the intended sphere of control, causing the product to embed incorrect documents into its output. In Websphere deployer, 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

WebSphere Deployer Plugin 1.6.1 and earlier does not configure the XML parser to prevent XML external entity (XXE) attacks. This could be exploited by a user with Job/Configure permissions to upload a specially crafted war file containing a `WEB-INF/ibm-web-ext.xml` which is parsed by the plugin.

CVE-2020-2108 Affected Websphere deployer Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.jenkins-ci.plugins:websphere-deployer
maven/org.jenkins-ci.plugins/websphere-deployer
Maven
≤ 1.6.1

References

NVD — CVE-2020-2108 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-2108
Websphere deployer Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/jenkinsci/websphere-deployer-plugin
Websphere deployer Security Information SECURITY
https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2020-01-29/#SECURITY-1719
Websphere deployer Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/01/29/1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-2108?
CVE-2020-2108 is a security vulnerability in Websphere deployer involving XXE vulnerability in Jenkins WebSphere Deployer Plugin under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which Websphere deployer versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: org.jenkins-ci.plugins:websphere-deployer.
What version fixes CVE-2020-2108?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is websphere-deployer affected?
Yes, org.jenkins-ci.plugins:websphere-deployer is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-2108?
CVE-2020-2108 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.6 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-2108?
CVE-2020-2108 is classified under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference (The product processes an XML document that can contain XML entities with URIs that resolve to documents outside of the intended sphere of control, causing the product to embed incorrect documents into its output.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-2108?
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-f5wx-w2f9-82gh",
  "modified" : "2022-12-19T21:15:52Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:07:41Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-2108" ],
  "summary" : "XXE vulnerability in Jenkins WebSphere Deployer Plugin",
  "details" : "WebSphere Deployer Plugin 1.6.1 and earlier does not configure the XML parser to prevent XML external entity (XXE) attacks. This could be exploited by a user with Job/Configure permissions to upload a specially crafted war file containing a `WEB-INF/ibm-web-ext.xml` which is parsed by the plugin.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jenkins-ci.plugins:websphere-deployer"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.6.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-2108"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jenkinsci/websphere-deployer-plugin"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://jenkins.io/security/advisory/2020-01-29/#SECURITY-1719"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/01/29/1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-12-19T21:15:52Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-01-29T16:15:00Z"
  }
}