IRONSMITHINTEL
CRITICALCVSS9.8
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2020-16846|Auth: none — unauthenticated|Reboot: required|Manual only

SaltStack Salt Shell Injection Vulnerability

SaltStack Salt allows an unauthenticated user with network access to the Salt API to use shell injections to run code on the Salt API using the SSH client. This vulnerability affects any users running the Salt API.

Published Nov 6, 2020 · Updated May 16, 2026
Why patchRisk explained in plain English
Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A remote attacker, without authentication, can achieve full data confidentiality loss, arbitrary modification of data, complete denial of service or system unavailability. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2022-05-03 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a OS Command Injection (CWE-78) vulnerability in SaltStack Salt. 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. Exploitation requires remote network access, low attack complexity, no authentication required, and no user interaction required.

📧

Phishing link

🖼

Malicious file

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Server compromised

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

IT Security
Running salt: v < 2015.8.10, 2015.8.11 ≤ v < 2015.8.13, 2016.3.0 ≤ v < 2016.3.4, 2016.3.5 ≤ v < 2016.3.6, 2016.3.7 ≤ v < 2016.3.8, 2016.11.0 ≤ v < 2016.11.3, 2016.11.4 ≤ v < 2016.11.6, 2016.11.7 ≤ v < 2016.11.10, 2017.5.0 ≤ v < 2017.7.4, 2017.7.5 ≤ v < 2017.7.8, 2018.2.0 ≤ v < 2018.3.5, 2019.2.0 ≤ v < 2019.2.5, 3000.0 ≤ v < 3000.3, 3001, 3002; debian linux: 9.0, 10.0; fedora: 31; leap: 15.1
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

Active exploitation documented in the wild. Threat-research write-up: http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160039/SaltStack-Salt-REST-API-Arbitrary-Command-Execution.html

How to patch

Manual remediation steps

Apply the Vendor Patch

This vulnerability is in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog — apply the vendor's security update as soon as possible.

CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

References

    1
    Vendor advisory: https://www.saltstack.com/blog/on-november-3-2020-saltstack-publicly-disclosed-three-new-cves/
    1
    NVD entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-16846
    1
    CISA KEV: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-16846
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