threat-modeling.md

Threat Model Analysis for jenkinsci/pipeline-model-definition-plugin

Threat: Malicious Pipeline Definition Injection via User Input

• Description: An attacker crafts malicious input (e.g., parameters, environment variables) that, when used within a pipeline definition processed by the plugin, leads to unintended code execution or manipulation of pipeline behavior. The attacker exploits insufficient input validation in the plugin's handling of user-provided data within the declarative pipeline syntax.
• Impact: Code execution on Jenkins master or agents, data breaches, unauthorized access to systems, disruption of CI/CD pipelines, compromised builds and deployments.
• Affected Component: Pipeline Definition Parsing, Parameter Handling, Script Execution within the plugin.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Rigorous input validation and sanitization within pipeline definitions, especially for user-provided data.
  • Avoid dynamic construction of pipeline elements based on untrusted input within declarative pipelines.
  • Use parameterized builds with clearly defined and validated parameter types enforced by the plugin.
  • Employ secure coding practices within script blocks used in declarative pipelines.
  • Apply the principle of least privilege to the pipeline execution context managed by the plugin.

Threat: Injection through External Configuration Sources

• Description: An attacker compromises external configuration sources (e.g., Git repositories, configuration management systems) that are used in conjunction with the plugin to retrieve pipeline definitions or fragments. The attacker injects malicious pipeline code into these sources, which is then loaded and executed by the plugin as part of a Jenkins pipeline.
• Impact: Execution of malicious code within Jenkins pipelines, supply chain attacks targeting pipeline definitions, compromised builds and deployments, data breaches, unauthorized access to systems.
• Affected Component: External Configuration Retrieval mechanisms used by the plugin, Pipeline Definition Loading within the plugin.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Secure and harden external configuration sources used for pipeline definitions.
  • Implement integrity checks (signatures, checksums) for pipeline definitions retrieved from external sources and processed by the plugin.
  • Use secure communication channels (HTTPS, SSH) for fetching external configurations used in declarative pipelines.
  • Regularly audit and monitor external configuration sources for unauthorized changes relevant to pipeline definitions.
  • Apply the principle of least privilege for access to external configuration sources used by the plugin.

Threat: Credential Exposure in Pipeline Definitions

• Description: An attacker gains access to sensitive credentials (e.g., API keys, passwords) if they are not managed securely within pipeline definitions created using the plugin or the Jenkins credential store. This could occur by viewing pipeline definitions, accessing Jenkins configuration related to pipelines, or exploiting vulnerabilities in how the plugin handles credentials.
• Impact: Unauthorized access to external systems and services, data breaches, compromised deployments initiated by pipelines, financial loss, reputational damage.
• Affected Component: Credential Management within declarative pipelines, Pipeline Definition Storage related to credential usage in the plugin.
• Risk Severity: Critical
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Strictly utilize Jenkins' credential management system to securely store and manage credentials used in declarative pipelines.
  • Absolutely avoid hardcoding credentials directly in pipeline definitions created with the plugin.
  • Consistently use credential binding features provided by Jenkins and plugins when working with declarative pipelines.
  • Implement robust access control on the Jenkins credential store to limit access to sensitive credentials used in pipelines.
  • Regularly audit credential usage and access within pipeline definitions and Jenkins configurations.

Threat: Vulnerabilities within the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin Code

• Description: Vulnerabilities (e.g., code injection, XSS, insecure deserialization) present in the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin's code itself can be exploited by an attacker to compromise Jenkins. Exploitation could involve crafting specific pipeline definitions that trigger vulnerabilities in the plugin's parsing or execution logic, or by directly interacting with Jenkins through plugin endpoints.
• Impact: Full compromise of Jenkins master and potentially agents, arbitrary code execution within the Jenkins environment, data breaches, denial of service affecting Jenkins and CI/CD pipelines.
• Affected Component: Plugin Core Code, Parsing Logic of declarative pipelines, Security Features of the plugin.
• Risk Severity: Critical
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Maintain the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin updated to the latest version to benefit from security patches.
  • Actively monitor security advisories and vulnerability databases specifically for the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin and Jenkins plugins in general.
  • Implement a comprehensive vulnerability scanning process for Jenkins and all installed plugins, including the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin.
  • Adhere to security best practices for plugin development and deployment if contributing to or extending the plugin.

Threat: Vulnerabilities in Plugin Dependencies

• Description: Vulnerabilities in libraries or other Jenkins plugins that the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin depends on can indirectly create security risks for pipelines defined using this plugin. Exploiting these dependency vulnerabilities could compromise Jenkins through the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin's dependency chain.
• Impact: Compromise of Jenkins master and potentially agents, arbitrary code execution, data breaches, denial of service, disruption of CI/CD pipelines, depending on the nature and severity of the dependency vulnerability.
• Affected Component: Plugin Dependencies, Dependency Management within the plugin.
• Risk Severity: High
• Mitigation Strategies:
  • Regularly update all Jenkins plugins and libraries, ensuring that dependencies of the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin are also updated.
  • Proactively monitor security advisories for dependencies used by the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin and apply patches promptly.
  • Consider utilizing dependency scanning tools to automatically identify vulnerable dependencies used by Jenkins plugins, including the Pipeline Model Definition Plugin.
  • Carefully evaluate the security posture of plugin dependencies before adopting or relying on them in a production Jenkins environment.