Google Kubernetes EngineApplication · Jenkins
CVE-2020-2121
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedJenkins Google Kubernetes Engine Plugin 0.8.0 and earlier does not configure its YAML parser to prevent the instantiation of arbitrary types, resulting in a remote code execution vulnerability.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe Jenkins Google Kubernetes Engine Plugin versions 0.8.0 and earlier uses a YAML parser that is not securely configured, allowing instantiation of arbitrary types during YAML deserialization. This unsafe deserialization enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code by crafting malicious YAML payloads.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Google Kubernetes EngineApplication
<= 0.8.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Locate the Google Kubernetes Engine PluginNavigate to Jenkins > Manage Jenkins > Manage Plugins > Installed, or inspect the $JENKINS_HOME/plugins/ directory for a folder named 'google-kubernetes-engine' or similarAffected if The plugin folder exists in the Jenkins plugins directory or is listed in the Installed tab
-
Determine the installed plugin versionCheck the plugin's manifest file (MANIFEST.MF) inside the plugin folder, or view the version listed in Jenkins > Manage Jenkins > Manage Plugins > InstalledAffected if The version number is 0.8.0 or lower (for example: 0.8.0, 0.7.0, 0.6.0, etc.)
-
Identify active use of GKE build stepsReview Jenkins jobs for usage of Google Kubernetes Engine-related build steps (such as 'Build GKE Docker Image' or 'Deploy to GKE') in job configurationsAffected if Jobs are configured with GKE plugin build steps that process YAML configuration files for Kubernetes deployments
-
Inspect YAML files processed by the pluginExamine any Kubernetes manifest YAML files stored in Jenkins job workspaces or GKE plugin configuration directories that may be parsed by the pluginAffected if The plugin parses YAML files (such as deployment.yaml, service.yaml) for GKE deployments and these files could contain maliciously crafted payloads
The environment is affected if the Google Kubernetes Engine Plugin is installed with version 0.8.0 or lower and the plugin's YAML parsing functionality is actively used to process Kubernetes configuration files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade the Jenkins Google Kubernetes Engine Plugin to a version newer than 0.8.0, which configures the YAML parser to prevent arbitrary type instantiation.
Fix this in Google Kubernetes Engine
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-2121 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-2121 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data