An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt through 3002. Sending crafted web requests to the Salt API, with the SSH client enabled, can result in shell injection.
CISA confirms exploitation of this vulnerability in real attacks. Prioritise checking whether your application is affected. CISA KEV · CC0 1.0
An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt through 3002. Sending crafted web requests to the Salt API, with the SSH client enabled, can result in shell injection.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | salt | < 2015.8.10, >= 2015.8.11, < 2015.8.13, >= 2016.3.0, < 2016.3.4, >= 2016.3.5, < 2016.3.6, >= 2016.3.7, < 2016.3.8, >= 2016.11.0, < 2016.11.3, >= 2016.11.4, < 2016.11.6, >= 2016.11.7, < 2016.11.10, >= 2017.7.0, < 2017.7.4, >= 2017.7.5, < 2017.7.8, >= 2018.3.0rc1, < 2018.3.5, >= 2019.2.0, < 2019.2.5, >= 3000, < 3000.3 | 2015.8.10, 2015.8.13, 2016.3.4, 2016.3.6, 2016.3.8, 2016.11.3, 2016.11.6, 2016.11.10, 2017.7.4, 2017.7.8, 2018.3.5, 2019.2.5, 3000.3 |
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-16846
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1383
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1382
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1381
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1380
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1379
- https://www.saltstack.com/blog/on-november-3-2020-saltstack-publicly-disclosed-three-new-cves
- https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4837
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-16846
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202011-13
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/TPOGB2F6XUAIGFDTOCQDNB2VIXFXHWMA
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/TPOGB2F6XUAIGFDTOCQDNB2VIXFXHWMA
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/01/msg00000.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/12/msg00007.html
- https://github.com/saltstack/salt/releases
- https://github.com/saltstack/salt/blob/8f9405cf8e6f7d7776d5000841c886dec6d96250/doc/topics/releases/3002.1.rst#L12
- https://github.com/saltstack/salt/blob/8f9405cf8e6f7d7776d5000841c886dec6d96250/doc/topics/releases/3001.2.rst#L10
- https://github.com/saltstack/salt/blob/8f9405cf8e6f7d7776d5000841c886dec6d96250/doc/topics/releases/3000.4.rst#L10
- https://github.com/saltstack/salt/blob/8f9405cf8e6f7d7776d5000841c886dec6d96250/doc/topics/releases/2019.2.6.rst#L10
- https://github.com/saltstack/salt
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/salt/PYSEC-2020-104.yaml
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-11/msg00029.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160039/SaltStack-Salt-REST-API-Arbitrary-Command-Execution.html
- https://www.saltstack.com/blog/on-november-3-2020-saltstack-publicly-disclosed-three-new-cves/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/TPOGB2F6XUAIGFDTOCQDNB2VIXFXHWMA/
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1380/
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1379/
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1383/
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1381/
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-20-1382/
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-qr38-h96j-2j3w
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-78- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
salt- Disclosed
- 06.11.2020
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 12:20
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-qr38-h96j-2j3w - CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2020-104 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: salt
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 69
- First → latest
- 11.2013 01.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 3
Severity breakdown
- Critical 17
- High 32
- Medium 16
- Low 2
- Unrated 2
Disclosures per year
- 2017: 14
- 2018: 3
- 2019: 1
- 2020: 6
- 2021: 14
- 2022: 6
- 2023: 3
- 2024: 3
- 2025: 9
- 2026: 2
earlier: 8
-
An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt through 3002. Sending crafted web requests to the Salt API, with the SSH client enabled, can result in shell injection. this entry
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