CVE-2020-14179: Jira Data Center Info Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2020-14179 Overview

CVE-2020-14179 is an Information Disclosure vulnerability affecting Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center. Remote, unauthenticated attackers can exploit the /secure/QueryComponent!Default.jspa endpoint to view custom field names and custom SLA names without authentication. This vulnerability exposes sensitive configuration information that could aid attackers in further reconnaissance or targeted attacks against Jira installations.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can enumerate custom field names and SLA configurations, potentially exposing business-sensitive information and aiding in further exploitation of Jira instances.

Affected Products

• Atlassian Jira Server versions before 8.5.8
• Atlassian Jira Server versions 8.6.0 to before 8.11.1
• Atlassian Jira Data Center versions before 8.5.8
• Atlassian Jira Data Center versions 8.6.0 to before 8.11.1

Discovery Timeline

• 2020-09-21 - CVE-2020-14179 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-14179

Vulnerability Analysis

This Information Disclosure vulnerability exists in the QueryComponent endpoint of Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center. The vulnerable endpoint /secure/QueryComponent!Default.jspa fails to properly enforce authentication before returning configuration data. When accessed by an unauthenticated user, the endpoint responds with custom field names and custom SLA names that should only be visible to authenticated users with appropriate permissions.

The exposure of custom field names and SLA configurations may seem minor, but this information can reveal organizational structure, business processes, and workflow details that attackers can leverage for social engineering or to craft more targeted attacks. Custom field names often contain business-specific terminology that could help attackers understand the target organization's operations.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper access control on the /secure/QueryComponent!Default.jspa endpoint. Despite being located in the /secure/ path, the endpoint does not properly validate that the requesting user is authenticated before returning query component data. This represents a failure in the authentication middleware or access control logic for this specific endpoint.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no user interaction or prior authentication. An attacker simply needs network access to the vulnerable Jira instance and can directly request the vulnerable endpoint.

The exploitation is straightforward: an attacker sends an HTTP request to the /secure/QueryComponent!Default.jspa endpoint on a vulnerable Jira Server or Data Center installation. The server responds with JSON or HTML content containing custom field names and custom SLA names that should be protected. This information disclosure can be performed anonymously and repeatedly without triggering typical authentication failure alerts.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-14179

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual access patterns to /secure/QueryComponent!Default.jspa from external or unauthenticated sources
• HTTP requests to the QueryComponent endpoint without valid session cookies or authentication headers
• Reconnaissance scanning activity targeting Jira-specific endpoints from unknown IP addresses
• Log entries showing multiple rapid requests to the vulnerable endpoint

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web server access logs for requests to /secure/QueryComponent!Default.jspa from unauthenticated sessions
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to alert on access patterns targeting the vulnerable endpoint
• Review Jira access logs for unusual query component access without corresponding authentication events
• Deploy network intrusion detection signatures for Jira information disclosure exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed access logging for all Jira web endpoints and review regularly
• Set up alerts for high-volume requests to sensitive Jira endpoints from single IP addresses
• Monitor for reconnaissance patterns that include enumeration of Jira endpoints
• Integrate Jira logs with SIEM solutions for correlation with other security events

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-14179

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Atlassian Jira Server to version 8.5.8 or later, or version 8.11.1 or later
• Upgrade Atlassian Jira Data Center to version 8.5.8 or later, or version 8.11.1 or later
• Review access logs to determine if the vulnerability has been exploited prior to patching
• Consider implementing network-level access controls to limit exposure of Jira to trusted networks

Patch Information

Atlassian has addressed this vulnerability in Jira Server and Data Center versions 8.5.8 and 8.11.1. Organizations should upgrade to these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. For detailed patch information and upgrade instructions, refer to the Atlassian Jira Issue JRASERVER-71536.

Workarounds

• Implement Web Application Firewall rules to block unauthenticated access to /secure/QueryComponent!Default.jspa
• Restrict network access to Jira instances to trusted IP ranges using firewall rules
• Place Jira behind a reverse proxy that requires authentication for all /secure/ path requests
• Consider temporarily disabling anonymous access to Jira until patches can be applied

# Example Apache mod_rewrite rule to block access to vulnerable endpoint
# Add to your Apache configuration or .htaccess file
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/secure/QueryComponent!Default\.jspa [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_COOKIE} !JSESSIONID
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]