CVE-2020-11651
Confirmed PUBLISHEDAn issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 2019.2.4 and 3000 before 3000.2. The salt-master process ClearFuncs class does not properly...
Recommended Action
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
At a Glance
An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 2019.2.4 and 3000 before 3000.2. The salt-master process ClearFuncs class does not properly validate method calls. This allows a remote user to access some methods without authentication. These methods can be used to retrieve user tokens from the salt master and/or run arbitrary commands on salt minions.
- CVE Published
- Apr 30, 2020
- Exploitation Reported
- Nov 03, 2021
- CVSS
- 9.8 Critical
- EPSS
- —
Affected Versions
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| n/a |
n/a
|
n/a |
Affected |
CVE References
- openSUSE-SU-2020:0564 lists.opensuse.org · Vendor Advisory http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-04/msg00047...
- DSA-4676 debian.org · Vendor Advisory https://www.debian.org/security/2020/dsa-4676
- 20200528 SaltStack FrameWork Vulnerabilities Affecting Cisco Products tools.cisco.com · Vendor Advisory https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory...
- openSUSE-SU-2020:1074 lists.opensuse.org · Vendor Advisory http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-07/msg00070...
- USN-4459-1 usn.ubuntu.com · Vendor Advisory https://usn.ubuntu.com/4459-1/
Show 6 more references
- [debian-lts-announce] 20200530 [SECURITY] [DLA 2223-1] salt security update lists.debian.org · Mailing List https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/05/msg00027.html
- docs.saltstack.com/en/latest/topics/releases/2019.2.4.html docs.saltstack.com · CVE Record https://docs.saltstack.com/en/latest/topics/releases/2019.2.4.html
- GitHub — saltstack/salt github.com · CVE Record https://github.com/saltstack/salt/blob/v3000.2_docs/doc/topics/releas...
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/157560/Saltstack-3000.1-Remote-Code-Ex... packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157560/Saltstack-3000.1-Remote-C...
- vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0009.html vmware.com · CVE Record http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0009.html
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/157678/SaltStack-Salt-Master-Minion-Un... packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157678/SaltStack-Salt-Master-Min...
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
- Check enrichment artifacts for scanner coverage and available PoCs before rolling remediation validation.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2021-11-03 00:00 UTC |
Scanner Artifacts
Nuclei and Metasploit references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/misc/saltstack_salt_unauth_rce.rb | Apr 28, 2025 |
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2021-11-03 00:00:00 UTC · CISA
Proof of concept available
Recorded 2020-05-04 11:47:56 UTC · GitHub
Scanner Integrations
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/misc/saltstack_salt_unauth_rce.rb | Apr 28, 2025 |
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
github · Created 2020-11-30 09:23:23 UTC · 0 stars
Scanning tool to test for SaltStack vulnerabilities CVE-2020-11651 & CVE-2020-11652.
github · Created 2020-05-07 09:17:39 UTC · 24 stars
CVE-2020-11651&&CVE-2020-11652 EXP
github · Created 2020-05-04 20:34:04 UTC · 6 stars
PoC for CVE-2020-11651
github · Created 2020-05-04 11:52:28 UTC · 121 stars
PoC exploit of CVE-2020-11651 and CVE-2020-11652
github · Created 2020-05-04 11:47:56 UTC · 40 stars
CVE-2020-11651: Proof of Concept
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
15:02 UTC about 1 year ago15:02 UTC · about 1 year ago
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
00:00 UTC over 4 years ago00:00 UTC · over 4 years ago
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
11:47 UTC about 6 years ago11:47 UTC · about 6 years ago
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
16:58 UTC about 6 years ago16:58 UTC · about 6 years ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
00:00 UTC over 6 years ago00:00 UTC · over 6 years ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2020-11651
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2020-11651",
"title": "An issue was discovered in SaltStack Salt before 2019.2.4 and 3000 before 300...",
"affected_vendor": "SaltStack",
"affected_product": "Salt",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 9.8,
"epss_score": null,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}