Question

What steps do you take to secure your Jenkins instance and pipelines? Could you share some security best practices for authentication, authorization, and plugin management?

Security in Jenkins is crucial for protecting pipelines and data. This question focuses on implementing essential practices for authentication, authorization, and plugin management to safeguard Jenkins environments, prevent unauthorized access, and mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

Answer 1

Secure a Jenkins instance and pipelines by emphasizing robust authentication, authorization, and secured managing of plugins. Below are some fundamental steps and best practices to provide a secured environment:

1. Authentication
Secure Login: Make use of LDAP, Active Directory, or SAML for user authentication
Strong Credentials: Always enforce strong password policies for the local accounts
2FA: Implement 2FA with the help of plugins like Google Authenticator.
HTTPS: Enable Jenkins to operate in HTTPS to ensure safe communication
2. Authorization
Apply Role Strategy to provide granular permission to users and groups via the Role Strategy Plugin
Admin access is only achieved for a few user account 
Audit Logs: For auditing changes, use the Audit Trail Plugin
3. Secure Plugin Management
Only install plugins downloaded from Jenkins Update Center or other similar trusted sources only; trusted plugins are installed,
Ensure all your plugins are updated: the update of your Jenkins will patch the security vulnerabilities.
Remove Unused Plugins: Make the attack surface smaller by removing unused plugins.
4. Credential Security
Credentials Binding Plugin Store API keys, tokens, and passwords securely
Use External Secret Management Tools HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, etc.
Mask Secrets in Logs Avoid outputting credentials in build logs
5. Secure the Jenkins Instance
Disabled Anonymous Access Any activity requires logins.
Sandboxes Pipeline Scripts: Use the Groovy sandbox in a manner that prevents malicious scripts from being run
Restrict SSH Access: Limit access to the Jenkins server through the use of firewalls and VPNs
6. Backup and Recovery
Scheduled Backups: Automate configurations and data stored by Jenkins jobs
Business Continuity Disaster Recovery Plan: Test the processes of business recovery
7. Regular Security Audits
Review user permissions, configuration of plugins, and auditing logs periodically
Scans dependencies for vulnerabilities using tools such as OWASP Dependency-Check.
These practices enforce security measures on your Jenkins instance and pipeline, thus ensuring your systems and data are not accessed by unauthorized parties.